The Heart's Desire
by Reese M
Summary: Picking up 2 years after The Heart's Truth a strange event caused by an artifact gives Helena and Myka a chance to have something very special. Both women have dreamed about it, but neither have said a word, so what will they do when suddenly given a chance to have their hearts' desires? What happens after they've made their choice? A unique spin (hopeful) on Bering-Wells babyfic.
1. Chapter 1

A dream is a wish the heart makes. In Helena's dreams she sees Myka sitting on a blanket under a tree with a small baby snuggled against her chest. Her dark curls fall forward to frame her face as she looks down at the sleeping bundle and she smiles before looking up to catch Helena's gaze. In her dreams Helena has paused to take in the sight but mere moments after her brown eyes have locked with Myka's green ones something brings her back to what she was doing, a tug of the pant leg, a bark, a child's bright laugh. In her dreams Helena is whole, happy, and content as she chases a small child who is chasing after Trailer and Lulu. Sometimes the child is a boy with her big brown eyes and Myka's brown hair that curls into ringlets if not kept cut short. Sometimes the child is a little girl with Myka's beautiful green eyes and her long black hair. Always when that child smiles up at her it's with Myka's smile and it fills Helena with such a sense of peace that it lingers into her waking hours, despite the sense of loss she always feels when waking up to find it had all be a wonderful dream.

She hadn't mentioned her dreams to Myka. She wasn't sure she could handle the emotions that would come with allowing another child into her reality. She was taking a huge risk loving Myka because she knew that if something ever happened to Myka she would be lost, if something happened to this wonderful amazing woman she loved so deeply, there would be no coming back from that. To allow another child into her heart, to have the lingering phantom of something taking that child from her, she knew that if history repeated itself not even Myka would be able to stop her from watching the world burn to ash. So she never mentioned her dreams to Myka, and Myka never told her that sometimes when she saw Helena smile at a child while they walked down the street in Univille she would imagine what it would be like to have a tiny Bering-Wells walking between them, each of them holding onto a tiny hand. Helena didn't know that sometimes while Myka read she would come across a name and before she could stop herself she was testing the sound of that name against their surnames.

A dream is a wish the heart makes because sometimes the brain won't stop being a jerk long enough for the heart to get want it wants, but sometimes in moments of pure contentment when everyone is on the same page, the heart gets to make its wish in the rosy light of day.

In her dream Lulu begins to growl, which was odd because Lulu never growled in her dreams, and hardly ever growled in real life. When she noticed that Lulu was growling at Myka, it began to click, Helena's subconscious realized that her little white Maltese mix was growling in reality and it had seeped into her dream. She began the slow struggle of waking up and as she became more aware of reality she realized something didn't feel right. When they'd gone to bed that night Myka had wanted to be the big spoon and Helena had easily snuggled into her lover's embrace, falling asleep with a soft smile on her lips. Myka's hold was always protective but gentle, her arm would wrap around Helena's waist, her hand would rest just under Helena's breast, her calf would slide over Helena's legs, her breasts would press against Helena's back, and she could feel Myka's warm breath brushing against the shell of her ear. For Helena, this is what home felt like.

As she became ever more alert in her waking state Helena began to realize that something was wrong, something was way off. The arm around her was to heavy, the leg draped over her own to hairy, and the chest pressed against her back was to solid. Even the breath washing over her skin was to warm. Helena's dark eyes snapped open in the dark. The body behind her was too large, to hard to be Myka's. Fear ripped through her as she realized without a doubt that the body behind her was not Myka's that it was in fact very male, given the appendage that was poking into her. For a split second she feared that the last two years had been a dream. For that terrifying moment she thought she hadn't gone back to South Dakota and that she and Myka hadn't confessed their love, or shared a bed, and that it was Nate behind her. But then Lulu growled, a lower confused confrontational growl, and she remembered she hadn't gotten Lulu until she'd left Nate. Her dark eyes did a quick scan of the room and for a split second she felt relief because she was in the room she and Myka shared at Leena's, but then the fear returned. She was in the arms of a man and not Myka!

Helena bolted from the bed seconds after realizing something was wrong. As she darted from the bed she snagged her Tesla from the nightstand drawer and once she was several feet from the bed she aimed it before flipping on the light. Sure enough laying there on Myka's side of the bed was a man. Lulu stood her ground, growling at the unfamiliar person, as Helena prepared to pull the trigger on her Tesla. She would have shot him but he began to stir and opened his eyes, they were green, Myka's green.

The man groaned in protest at being awaken in the middle of the night. "Helena? What's wrong? Why is Lulu growling like that?" He began to sit up as he spoke and then froze. Something was off, way off, but before there could be any kind of self-analysis there was the small matter of having Helena's Tesla aimed at him. "Helena?"

"Who the sodding hell are you?" Helena demanded. "Where's Myka?"

Those bright but sleepy eyes blinked at Helena. "I'm right here, Helena." Having a weapon pointed at you was a good way to quickly clear the cobwebs of sleep and that allowed for realizing that, "Why do I sound like…"

Myka looked down at herself and screamed. "I'm a man!"

Utter confusion crossed Helena's face as she watched the man in her bed leap to his feet and start patting down his own body, squeaking in shock when his hand felt the undeniable evidence of his manhood. She didn't lower her Tesla but Helena relaxed a little as she let herself take in the man. His hair was short but wavy, it would curl if left to grow long, and it was the same shade of brown as Myka's. His body was athletic, toned, and muscled but not like Pete's. Pete was built for American football and wrestling while this man was built for more refined sports like proper football and polo. And it certainly wasn't built for the baby blue tank top and matching panties that were stretched out over his chest and groin in a way that she was certain was uncomfortable if not a little painful. Myka had gone to bed in a baby blue tank top and panties last night, fresh from the dryer, Helena remembered falling asleep to the warm scene of fabric softener mingling with the comforting scent of Myka herself.

Myka couldn't believe this. When she'd gone to bed last night she was still very much a woman, now it was painfully clear she wasn't. Everything about her was male, but what she was having an even harder time dealing with was the look of fear and confusion on Helena's face. Waking up a man was confusing as hell; she could only imagine what it had felt like to wake up in the arms of one after falling asleep in the arms of a woman. The fact that Helena still had her Tesla drawn let Myka know the first thing she had to do was convince her girlfriend to not shoot her. "Helena," She said in a voice that was deep and soft. "Helena, it's me, I'm Myka!"

Before Helena could respond their bedroom door opened. Pete and Claudia came charging in with their Tesla's drawn. They'd been drug from their own sleep by the commotion and had come running. "Mykes? Hels? What's going on?" Pete asked.

Myka squeaked, which didn't sound right coming from a male voice, as she grabbed a blanket to cover herself.

"Who the hell are you?" Claudia demanded as she looked at the occupants of the room. When she saw the look on Helena's face, the confusion and fear, she moved closer to the older woman, taking up a protective stance.

"Guys." Myka pleaded. "It's me!"

"Me who?" Pete asked as his gaze darted between the strange man and Helena. "Where's Myka? Helena, what's going on?"

"I'm right here!" Myka yelled. "I am Myka!"

Pete titled his head in that way that reminded people of a puppy. "What? Dude, you're a dude! Who the hell are you? What are you doing in here?" He took a step forward with his Tesla drawn, a dangerous look on his face. If this guy hurt one of his girls things were about to get ugly.

Myka could see things getting out of hand so she took a daring step forward and looked right into Helena's eyes, right into the very heart of the other woman, into a place where only Myka could reach. "Baby it's me."

A shocking bolt of recognition flared inside Helena and she gasped, her eyes going wide, her arms lowering her Tesla. "Myka?"

"Yes." Myka said with a touch of relief. "I don't know what the hell happened." She looked down at her self again before looking back up at Helena. "But it's me."

Pete and Claudia looked at Helena who seemed to have relaxed. They watched as their dark haired English friend took several careful steps towards the strange and yet oddly familiar man standing in her room. They relaxed but didn't lower their weapons as Helena reached out a trembling hand to touch the man's face, their eyes locked. Helena gasped again.

"H.G?" Claudia asked softly.

"Myka." Helena said softly. "You're a man."

Myka shifted uncomfortably on her feet, both from feeling unease and uncomfortable, and because she wasn't sure what to do with what hung between her thighs. "Apparently."

"Ooooo!" Claudia said in a bratty little sister tone of voice as she shoved her mini Tesla into the pocket of her Spongebob pj pants. "Someone got whammied!"

Helena rubbed Myka's cheek and marveled at the feeling of stubble she found there. "Someone had best call Artie."

After getting her some things to wear from Pete's closet, sweat pants, boxers, and a North Canton wrestling t-shirt, which Myka only put on after repeated insurances from Pete that they were all clean, the agents headed over to the Warehouse. Pete drove and asked questions about what it felt like to be a guy, did it feel odd, was she having weird thoughts, did she have any sudden urges to watch Jackass and play X-Box while eating pizza and drinking beer?

"I don't think so." Myka said as she thought it over. "I'm still me, I still think like me, I'm just, ya know…"

"Hung?" Claudia threw in.

"Claudia!" Myka and Helena scolded in unison, which only made the younger woman laugh.

Artie was not happy. Not only was he drug from his bed in the middle of the night, but clearly someone hadn't been very careful around the artifacts. After Claudia had called him and told him what was going on he started in on his research. When his agents walked in he went over to look Myka over himself while Claudia went to the computers. Artie walked around Myka and then stood in front of her for several long moments. "You look like you would have if you'd been born male, it's remarkable."

"Very handsome indeed." Helena said with a smile.

Myka blushed. "What happened to me, Artie?"

"Well to be honest I'm not sure." Artie said before asking. "What did you touch?"

"We were doing inventory yesterday." Myka answered. "I touched a lot of things, but I had gloves on the whole time."

Artie thought for a moment and then turned his fatherly gaze onto Helena. "What did you touch?"

"Me?" Helena yelped defensively.

"Yes you." Artie said firmly. "You two worked together yesterday and you two are personally connected. What did you touch?"

"Nothing." Helena huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I was on the floor with our check list, or at a computer terminal. Myka was handling the artifacts."

Artie grumbled under his breath while he thought this out. Something like this he would expect from Pete, or maybe even Claudia, but not his older girls. Myka and Helena both knew better. It had to be something else, an artifact certainly, but not one they would have to have direct contact with. "Claudia…"

"Already on it." The young redhead said. "I'm cross checking Myka and H.G's inventory list with Myka's symptoms, and…" There was a bit of a pause. "Nothing on their list but, ah-ha! They were in the wishing aisle."

Myka shot Helena a glare and Helena's eyes went wide. "I did not wish for you to be a man! I am rather happy with your femaleness thank you very much!"

"Well I didn't wish to be a man either!" Myka barked.

"Ok, ok, shut up." Artie said as he looked over Claudia's shoulder to read about the artifacts in the wishing aisle. After several moments he turned to look at Helena and Myka. "What were you thinking while you were in the wishing aisle?"

"Thinking?" Myka asked.

Helena thought about their day and suddenly said, "Oh dear."

Myka turned to glare at her girlfriend. "Oh dear? Oh dear what?"

"Perhaps there is a small chance I might have accidently caused this." Helena admitted sheepishly. She squirmed under the gazes of her lover and their friends and then explained, "We were talking about your sister and her children. You had just mentioned Tracy was having another baby."

"How would thinking about my sister's children have made me a man?" Myka questioned. She watched Helena closely and saw the flicker of emotion in her dark eyes, the uncertainty, and a hint of what Myka thought could be longing. "Helena?"

Helena dropped her head for a moment. She ran her hand through her hair twice, a sure sign that she was inwardly struggling with something. Then she looked up at Myka. "I might have thought, well, I might have thought to myself that if it were possible for you and I to have children together, our children would be perfect."

Myka's eyes went large and doey. Helena wanted them to have children? She'd never said anything before, but given Helena's past maybe she'd been afraid to. "Helena."

Helena blushed.

Myka stepped closer to Helena as she admitted. "I might have had the same thought you did."

This time it was Helena's eyes that went wide. "Really?"

Myka nodded.

"Ok so you both secretly and unknowingly wished to have little Bering-Wells babies together." Claudia said as it all started to make sense. "An artifact picked up on that and whammy! Myka has the parts to make that happen now."

Artie started talking about finding and neutralizing the artifact, and lecturing about how Myka couldn't remain a man, and about being more careful with stray thoughts while among the artifacts. Claudia was grinning like a sappy fool at the idea of Warehouse babies. And Pete was gloating over not being the one in trouble for messing with an artifact for once. Myka and Helena didn't notice any of this. They stood in Artie's office simply staring at each other for several minutes before Myka walked over and took Helena's hand. They slipped out the umbilicus door and walked through the bright white tunnel until they were outside the Warehouse alone.

They were both quiet for several long moments. They were gathering their thoughts before diving into the conversation they both new was coming. Finally it was Myka who said, "I hadn't really ever thought of having children before, not until we started dating anyway, but even then it was just a flicker of a thought. I was never sure if you… and then the cancer scare and the surgery and… I just never brought it up."

Helena raised their clasped hands and held Myka's against her heart. Shortly after their reunion Myka had had a medical scare and had required surgery and treatment. Helena had been nearly crippled with fear and anxiety, but she supported Myka and her love made it through, and she was perfectly healthy now. "If I would have lost you, Myka, I would have been… I don't think I'd have come back from that kind of darkness." She paused for a moment before adding, "I dream about us, about a family with you, but what if…"

"You're scared." Myka said as she raised her free hand to cup Helena's face. Again she was taken aback about how such a normal gesture between them seemed so alien right now.

"Yes." Helena admitted as she leaned into Myka's touch. It was only a little comforting. Though she knew this was her Myka, the body, the touch, didn't feel the same.

"Maybe we're not ready right now but what if this is our chance to have a someday?" Myka asked.

Dark eyes suddenly filled with a bright light of hope. "How do you mean?"

"We could talk to Vanessa." Myka said and then bit her lip nervously. "Maybe, I don't know, maybe if we can, maybe we could ya know, stock pile."

It took a few moments for Helena to catch on but then she couldn't help but smile. "You mean… Use your…"

"If I have it and it's safe." Myka said with a nod. "Why not?"

"Oh Myka." Helena said in a breathy voice before leaning close and kissing Myka. When she pulled away she was making a face and laughing. "Oh, stubble burn!"

Myka laughed, and despite the male register of her voice, it was her laugh. "Sorry."

When they returned to Artie's office he and Claudia had managed to track down the artifact. Artie was going to goo it when Myka stopped him. "Not yet."

"Myka." Artie said disapprovingly.

"Artie please." Myka said as she looked at him like a child asking a father for help. "Let us talk to Vanessa first. This could be our only chance."

Artie wasn't sure. He didn't like using artifacts for personal gain, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd used one to help Myka. It hadn't just been medicine that saved her life. After looking into Myka's eyes for a few moments and then looking over at Helena, he finally said with a sigh, "Fine."

Claudia cheered. "I'll find Doc Vanessa!"

"No need." The woman's voice rang out from the stairs leading up to Artie's apartment. "I'm right here."

"Oooo!" Claudia said teasingly. "Mommy and Daddy had a sleep over!"

"Claudia!" The adults scolded in unison.


	2. Chapter 2

There were a whole slew of tests for Myka to go through and she wasn't thrilled with any of them. Given her previous medical history she wasn't really the doctors, clinics, and hospital type these days. It hadn't helped that Vanessa had taken her and Helena to the very medical center where the scariest part of her life had happened. Helena was doing her best to be supportive, to keep Myka's mind off things, and it helped that Myka reminded herself why she was going through all of this. She would have been happy raising any child with Helena, adopted or biologically one of theirs, that wouldn't have mattered. But to be given the chance to have a child that would be both of theirs? Even if they weren't ready right now or any time soon, how could they pass up having the chance at that kind of future? So she let Vanessa poke, prod, draw blood, x-ray, ultrasound, and she tried really hard not to die of total embarrassment and mortification when Vanessa said she would need a sample.

While Myka sat in a room staring at a specimen cup with a horrified look on her face, Helena was being subjected to her own tests. There was no reason to get their hopes up if spending a century in bronze had caused any damage. Her medical exams had always come back clear; she was in perfect health for a woman in her late thirties, despite actually being one in her early one hundreds. But until now she had never thought to ask specifically about her ability to bare another child. During the exam Vanessa asked as delicately as she could about Helena's pregnancy and delivery with Christina, and to her surprise it wasn't as gut wrenchingly painful as she'd thought it would be. Clearly her time with Abigail and her life with Myka had finally allowed her to heal.

When Vanessa was finished with her tests, Helena went in search of Myka. She found her love sitting in the little exam room still staring at the cup with the bright orange screw off cap. Helena chuckled softly. "Are you unaware of how it works my love?"

"I know how it works!" Myka said defensively because she was feeling embarrassed and a little foolish. Then she softened and said, "It's just weird as hell. I mean it's not like I haven't… But that was as me and not as… I'm a guy, with guy parts, and this is so… "

"Perhaps I could offer assistance?" Helena asked with a sultry look, her voice soft and rumbly in that way that made Myka melt.

Myka swallowed hard and it felt weird. She had an Adam's apple now. Looking up she caught Helena's gaze, and in those beautiful chocolate eyes she could see the promise of an endless wonder far greater than anything in the Warehouse. After another moment of thought and hesitation she finally nodded. Helena smiled sweetly as she crouched in front of Myka and reached for the button and zipper of the jeans she'd borrowed from Pete.

It would take time for Vanessa to run the tests she needed to run so once they were finished at the medical center Myka and Helena headed back to the B&B. It was still so very weird to be doing the little things that they did as a couple, the little gestures and touches that came so naturally between them. Myka was still Myka on the inside, but the body, the voice, was just so different. They were both full of conflicting emotions. Their hearts new the truth, this was Myka no matter the shell, but their heads kept slamming on the breaks. When Myka reached out to take Helena's hand, it felt wrong because normally their hands fit perfectly together and now Myka's hand engulfed Helena's. When Helena looked over at Myka she saw this handsome man with Myka's eyes and Myka's smile, and it was a little unsettling. They never doubted their love, or even their attraction to one another, but this was truly a case of appearances deceiving. Myka's touch still stirred something in Helena, and Helena's 'darlings' still made Myka weak in the knees, but they couldn't stop wondering how far was to far with Myka like this. Helena had actually felt a rush of guilt following their little adventure in the exam room, though she couldn't really explain why, and Myka let herself briefly freak out because she let herself wonder if maybe Helena would like having her this way permanently. They were going to sit down when this was all over and really talk about this, because this was a lot to work through and if this paid off there were going to be a lot of questions to answer.

When they got home they walked into the B&B hand in hand. They were hoping to find the place empty and since there were no cars in the drive they thought they'd been granted the favor. As they made their way further inside Helena asked, "Are you alright darling? You've been kind of quit."

Myka's trying to be reassuring smile tugged at the lips of her very handsome male face. "I'm fine honey."

Helena reached up and rubbed the corner of Myka's mouth with her thumb. "Beautiful woman or handsome man I can still read you, Myka."

"I know." Myka said softly. "The one person who knows you better than you know yourself, right?"

"As it should be my love." Helena said softly as she stepped closer to Myka.

It was the most natural thing in the world for Myka to kiss Helena so she reached out and cupped Helena's face, drawing her close. The kiss wasn't any more or less than they would have normally shared out in the open, but it was still very intimate. Which is what caused the, "What the hell?"

Helena and Myka broke apart and turned to see Steve glaring at them. Or rather he was glaring at Helena because from Steve's point of view he'd just caught her kissing a man behind Myka's back. It didn't help any that Myka looked rather guilty at being caught, which is how she often looked at being caught, but Steven didn't know that this was just Myka being Myka. "Steve, this isn't what is looks like."

Steve, who'd been out picking up an artifact, looked confused. Helena was telling the truth. Crossing his arms over his chest he asked, "It looks like you were kissing that guy in a really inappropriate way, given the fact you're not single."

"I was kissing him, but it's hardly inappropriate." Helena replied.

"Steve." Myka added as she took a step closer to her friend. "We kind of caused a whammy."

Now that he was face to face with the other man Steve could see a resemblance and it didn't help with his confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Yeah, you do." Myka replied. "Since I'm Myka."

Steve's jaw dropped. He looked at Myka for a long moment and then over to Helena who nodded. "You're a guy!"

Myka nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Helena watched as Steve looked Myka over and smirked in a teasing way. "Watch the eyes Agent Jinks. Myka is still very much mine."

Steve blushed brightly. "I wasn't! I didn't! I…"

Helena laughed. "I was teasing dear."

"Oh." Steve said as he tried to chuckle while rubbing his neck. "What happened?"

Myka explained about the heart's desire artifact that had been in the wishing aisle, about how she and Helena had the same secret wish that lead to her waking up as a man. She even explained why she was still a man even though Artie had found the artifact. Steve smiled a huge smile and when she asked him why he said, "It's karma."

"Karma?" Helena asked.

Steve nodded. "We have all given a lot to the Warehouse, some of us more than others, and this is kind of like the Warehouse giving back."

After Steve left for the Warehouse Myka headed upstairs to shower while Helena put on some tea and busied herself in the kitchen making lunch. They both thought about what Steve said, and they liked it. They already knew they had a special connection with the Warehouse; they could both smell apples, so maybe the Warehouse was trying to give something back to them after all they had given it, or maybe it was trying to make up for what had been lost in the past. Claudia was convinced that the Warehouse understood things on a level no one could really understand, that it somehow knew it had caused people distress, and that it sometimes acted or reacted to that. So maybe this hadn't been just a freak misuse of an artifact after all. One thing was certain though; this gave them another reason not to squander this rare opportunity.

When Helena went up to tell Myka their meal was ready she caught Myka standing in front of their full length mirror with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her waist. Damp hair, flushed skin from the heat of the shower, beads of water clinging in places the towels had missed. In that moment Helena realized Myka could be green with blue fuzzy fur and horns and she would still find her breathtakingly attractive.

Aware of Helena's presence because they could practically sense each other, but unaware of Helena's reaction to seeing her, Myka said, "If I had a brother I wonder if this is what he would look like?"

"Perhaps," Helena began but when her voice cracked she stopped to clear it before starting over. "Perhaps similar but not quite like you. Artie was correct, your features, your body build, everything about you is still uniquely Myka, just Myka with a Y chromosome."

Myka knew that particular vocal inflection well. Turning to face Helena she smiled, her eyes bright with amusement. "You're turned on right now."

Helena looked horrified at being caught. "Myka, I…"

"Didn't you just say I was still Myka?" Myka asked as she crossed the room. "Is it just the wrapping you're attracted to or is it me?"

"You." Helena said, her voice dropping to the panther's purr that drove Myka insane. "Always without doubt you."

Myka moved closer, fueled by the strange new rush of hormones. She was biologically male with everything that came with that, which meant when she laid eyes on the woman she loved, the woman who's touch she craved, the woman who's voice could make her nerve endings tingle, Myka's body responded as it always did and yet so vastly different as well. In her own body Myka was use to her biological reactions to Helena, she could to a certain point, control them. The white water rapid of testosterone she was feeling was more than she knew what to do with. It was almost animalistic and for a moment as Myka pulled Helena into her arms to kiss her she wondered if this sudden unstoppable urge to make love to Helena was somehow linked to the artifact.

Myka's very willing participant began to wonder the same thing because despite any earlier misgivings about being intimate with Myka in this form, Helena found herself unable to think about anything but being with Myka right now. As they rid Helena of her clothes, and disposed of Myka's towel, their Farnsworth started ringing. Neither could be bothered. As they tumbled together onto the bed their cell phones began ringing as well. The logical part of Myka's brain kicked in long enough to realize one of them needed to answer, so she growled in frustration as she snatched up her cell while Helena continued to bite her collar bone. "What?" She barked into the phone. She listened and then dropped her head with a sigh. "Fine." She said, clearly unpleased with whoever was on the other end. "We'll be right there."

After Myka ended the call Helena looked up at her questioningly. "What's wrong darling?"

"Mrs. Frederic wants us at the Warehouse." Myka said with a sigh.

With everything that had happened in the last twelve hours neither of them had thought about Mrs. Frederic or the Regents. It never crossed their minds that they might not agree to this. It didn't set well with either of them that a group of strangers could have a say in their personal affairs, but they had used an artifact for what could be considered personal gain, and even though it had been done unknowingly they could both see where some people would have issues with this.

When they walked into Artie's office everyone seemed to be gathered there waiting on them. It made Myka a little nervous.

"Agent Bering?" Mrs. Frederic asked.

Myka nodded. "Hi Mrs. Frederic."

Helena was about to speak up when Mrs. Frederic held up her hand. "This has far less to do with you than you might think. I'm here about the Warehouse. It would seem that its bond with Ms. Donavan has influenced it in ways we weren't expecting."

"Ok, wait, are you saying this is somehow my fault?" Claudia asked defensively.

"Not exactly your fault, no." Mrs. Frederic explained. "The artifact that caused this is normally kept in a protective encasement because it doesn't require actual consensual usage. Artie discovered that while Myka and H.G. were in that area of the Warehouse that encasement was inactive. When looked into further it would appear that no one authorized it."

Claudia's eyes went a little wide. "You're saying the Warehouse did it?"

Helena looked surprised but not so much as the others. "We have always known the Warehouse is in someway sentient."

"What does that have to do with Claudia?" Steve asked.

Mrs. Frederic gave the future Caretaker a look before saying, "We believe that the Warehouse is in the process of evolving."

"Well, yeah, that makes sense." Claudia said. "But I don't think it's just me, I mean it's self aware, it always has been. It was Warehouse 12 that bonded with H.G. but this Warehouse still feels that connection. What's been the most different isn't just me, it's all of us. I mean we're not just employees, we're a family, and until us that hadn't really happened."

Artie agreed. "Friendships, but never theses kinds of bonds."

"Aww," Pete said with a dopey grin. "Papa bear loves us."

"Them." Artie said teasingly while waving at the girls. "Not you. You're just a pain in my…"

"As I was saying." Mrs. Frederic said with a roll of her eyes and barely there smile.

After discussing the pros and cons of what was happening with the Warehouse Mrs. Frederic addressed what was happening with Myka, and what could possibly happen with her and Helena. The artifact would have to be neutralized and put in a secure vault, but if the seeds from this little event bore fruit Myka was entitled to do with them as she pleased. That however would raise the question of wither they, she and Helena, could remain agents. Claudia protested saying that it wasn't fair to make them choose, and for the first time since coming to the Warehouse Claudia refused to back down from Mrs. Frederic, and it left everyone stunned when she declared that Irene and the Regents be damned, she would fight for whatever Myka and Helena decided to do with their lives, be it with or without the Warehouse, but she was hoping that it would be with. She looked over at the two older women who to her were her big sisters and told them she would help in anyway she could, even if that meant diaper duty, because she loved them and that's what families did.

After that Claudia stormed off to get lost deep within the Warehouse, Steve and Abigail followed her. Mrs. Frederic left, a tiny proud smile on her lips that no one saw. Pete tried to lighten the mood that lingered in Artie's office but it was still a bit stuffy when Vanessa walked in.

"Did I miss something?" The doctor asked as she took in the faces of the people Artie loved like his own children, which meant she had great affection for them as well.

Helena smiled brightly. "It would appear our little one is growing into a stunning young woman." She then explained what had happened.

Vanessa smiled proudly. "That's our girl." She paused for a moment to allow a gentle transition and then said, "I have your test results if now's a good time to go over them."

Myka nodded. "The sooner the better."

They were left alone for this very private conversation. Vanessa pulled out files knowing that Helena would want to have a look for herself. "Well, Myka, you are a normal healthy human male right down to your genetic code." Vanessa said. "It is as if you were born male, which would have happened if a Y chromosome would have been introduced during fetal development."

"Remarkable." Helena said as she looked over the paperwork. "The Y has been added to her DNA sequence."

"Please tell me this doesn't mean I have to stay a man." Myka said with a flash of panic.

"However the artifact added it, it should be able to subtract it once it's neutralized." Vanessa said. She smiled sweetly as she continued, "Now, as for the reason you went through all of this in the first place. If you both wish to proceed there is no reason you couldn't. Myka's healthy ova, which were left following Myka surgery, were switched to healthy sperm when her DNA was recoded. Medically, the only risks I can see are the normal risks to medically aided fertility."

It could really happen. They could have a biological child together. It was a little overwhelming. With Myka's contribution on ice all they needed to do was wait for the right time. Helena's tests had come back clear, there weren't any lasting effects from her time spent in bronze. Vanessa made the comment that it seemed someone had hoped that someday Helena would get a second chance, and Helena knew without a doubt who that man had been. When she held her and Myka's child in her arms she would have Chaturanga to thank for seeing that special care had been taken with her.

"Well," Myka said as she looked over at Helena once they were alone. She smiled a loving smile. "There it is then."

"Yes," Helena said as she leaned closer for a soft kiss. "There it is, our future."

Myka bit her lip. "Looks pretty good from here."

"It does." Helena agreed.

Myka kissed her and then pulled back and smiled as she said, "Can I get my tits back now?"

Helena let out a laugh that would have the most bawdy of tavern maids feeling jealous. "Righty-ho then, darling."


	3. Chapter 3

The familiar feeling of Myka's breast pressed into the cup of her hand was comforting and filled Helena with a sense of relief. When the artifact was neutralized Myka hadn't changed right back into her proper body, and it had been a little scary for everyone. They started to worry that it had been permanent and maybe that was because they'd waited to long. The idea had made Helena feel guilty, because Myka had prolonged her transformation for them, to give them a chance at something remarkable and precious. But then Pete reminded them that the switch hadn't happened instantly the first time, and that maybe they should wait and see what happened. Apparently the change needed to happen while the body was at complete rest because eight hours after male Myka feel asleep female Myka awoke to a pair of lips crushing hers in a kiss while a pair familiar hands roamed over her body. They'd been interrupted before things could go further by the others wanting to know if Myka was Myka again, but now that they were alone in the shower together they were enjoying getting reacquainted with Myka's true form.

For the next couple of days Myka was off duty, as per the rule following such a huge whammy, just to make sure there weren't any lasting side effects. There was one lingering side effect, her sex drive had not diminished, but she figured that would return to normal once her hormone levels evened out. Of course no one knew this but Helena and she certainly wasn't complaining. During their evenings together Myka and Helena talked about how they felt, about the flashes of guilt Helena had felt and Myka's sudden insecurity. Though they still tended to fall back into the old habit of silent conversations that didn't really get any results, they were much better these days at actually talking to one another about deep things.

Not wanting to push or over load things they quietly decided to let the baby thing rest for the moment. They had what they needed, they knew at some point they would use it, but actually working out when could wait for them to catch their breaths. This had all happened rather quickly after all. In the span of twenty-four hours they had agreed that they wanted to have children together and took the steps to see it happen, now they just both needed a moment to let the dust settle before moving forward. There was still a lot to talk about, a lot to deal with, but they had time.

The need to take the rest of this journey at a more logical pace is why Myka found herself more than a little surprised when she said, "Helena and I are planning to have a baby together."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. To say that Jean and Warren Bering were surprised when their daughter came home one weekend and informed them she was in a romantic relationship with another woman would be an understatement. As far as they knew Myka had never showed any interest in women in that way, and Myka tried to explain that it wasn't so cut and dry. For Myka is was less about Helena's gender and more about Helena herself. Yes, there was a deep physically attraction. Helena was stunning, beautiful, and Myka was drawn to her like a moth to the flame. But above all else Myka was in love with the person; she was in love with Helena's brilliant, creative mind, and her caring, compassionate, scared heart. She admired Helena's strengths and empathized with her weaknesses. Helena's smiles made her world brighter and her tears made her hurt. So yes Helena was a woman, but Helena was Helena, and that's who Myka loved. It was an adjustment for Warren and Jean, but after finally meeting Helena and getting to know her, it was obvious why Myka had fallen for the woman and it was easy to see how much she loved their daughter and how much Myka loved her in return.

"That's wonderful sweetheart." Jean finally said. "Are you planning to adopt?"

"No." Myka replied. "There are, um, procedures, and, ah, well, it's all kind of really medical and stuff, but what matters is that the baby will be ours, hers and mine."

There was another pause before Jean replied, "Well, if you consider the child yours then it'll be a Bering, and we'll welcome it as if it were you own."

The baby would be hers. Myka sighed inwardly. How were they going to explain this? Not just to her parents or other people but to the child when it asked. They couldn't tell the truth, they couldn't tell people Myka had been turned into a man and she'd fathered the child herself. She would have to bring this up with Helena, and they would need to work out an origins story. Origins story? Myka groaned inwardly. She'd been around Pete to long.

"Don't you think you should marry her first?" Warren asked, yanking his daughter out of her own head rather sharply.

"What?" Myka squeaked.

"Myka." Warren said in that tone father's take on while explain a life lesson. "Before you ask a woman to have your children, it's kind of nice to ask her to be your wife first." Myka squeaked again and Warren chuckled. "I know she comes across as a progressive independent woman, and marriage isn't necessary these days, but I think your Helena might have a bit of an old soul and might like the traditional aspects of it."

"It shows her you want to share your life with her for her and not just for any possible children that might happen." Jean added.

Marry Helena? Myka wasn't opposed to the idea, in fact now that it was in her head she kind of liked the idea, but would Helena? During late nights cuddled together in bed when Helena would talk about her old life she had mentioned the handful of times Joseph and Sarah Wells had tried to arrange marriages for their youngest child and only daughter. Each and every time Helena managed to undo all the work her parents had put into setting things up between her and a suitor, much to her parents frustration. Eventually her parents gave up on marrying her off and she was free to do as she pleased. Myka smiled softly as she pictured the proud look on Helena's face after telling her that story. Helena had been so dead set against getting married that she chose to be a single mother in Victorian England, causing a scandal, but she hadn't cared. Helena wasn't about to allow herself to be owned by someone in that way. But then marriage didn't mean what it meant back then, so maybe her dad had a point.

As hard as she tried Myka couldn't shake the thoughts running around in her head. Helena was off with Steve on a case, they were tracking Anastasia's Music Box, so they hadn't really had a chance to talk about much. Helena called her every night but those conversations were always about their days and how they both hated sleeping alone. Helena had said it wouldn't be much longer, she'd be home in a day or two, but then Myka and Pete had been sent off to track down a ping.

"Am I crazy or are donuts better in Canada?" Pete asked before taking a massive bite out of the warm maple dipped donut he'd just gotten from the Tim Hortons they'd stopped at. When Myka didn't reply he looked over to find her staring out the window of their rental car again. "Mykes?" He mumbled around a mouth full of pastry before washing it down with his coffee. "Myka?"

Myka jumped when Pete poked her. "What?"

Pete chuckled at the look on her face, but then he turned a bit more serious as he wiped his mouth and hands. "Ok, you have been spacing out a lot lately. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." Myka said while giving him that smile that said to drop it.

"Come on Mykes." Pete said gently. "You can talk to me. It might help clear up whatever has you so worked up."

"I'm not worked up." Myka argued. Pete gave her a look and then his eyes went to her lap. When she looked down there was a pile of shredded napkin and she sighed. It took her a moment but she did look up and say, "I talked to my parents the other day and for some reason I told them that Helena and I wanted to have a baby."

"And they weren't cool with the idea?" Pete asked.

They didn't react the way they did every time Tracy talked about babies, but they didn't seem against it, so Myka shook her head. "No, they were ok, but they did assume I meant we were going to adopt and that got me to thinking. How do we explain that Helena and I are both biologically the baby's parents?"

"Stem cells." Pete said without hesitation and far to quickly for this to be a random thought. "They're not doing it here yet but in several European counties they've started progressing the work done at a Japanese university where stem cells are used to produce the opposite reproductive cells of the donor's gender. There have been two successful births, one to a gay couple in England who had to use a surrogate and one to a lesbian couple in Belgium. Both babies were born in perfect health, but they'll be watched pretty much for the rest of their childhood if not their whole lives, well maybe not their whole lives, I don't think they still medically watch the first test tube baby."

Myka sat there staring at Pete with wide disbelieving eyes. "How do you even know that?"

"I read it." Pete said with a blush.

"You read it?" Myka repeated before asking, "Where?"

"In the Advocate." Pete said proudly.

Myka smiled a little bit but still looked dumbstruck. "You read the Advocate?"

Pete looked very proud of himself as he said, "As a straight ally it's important that I keep up to date on things. That way when my best friend comes to me with a problem she's having with her former lady cuckoo girlfriend I can give her better advice than, whatever you don't piss H.G. off, she invents death rays."

"Helena has never invented a death ray." Myka said with a roll of her eyes. The fact that Pete was going out of his way to be a good friend meant a lot to her, and it showed in the way she smiled at him.

"I read War of the Words." Pete said with his twinkling eyes narrowed. "She could if she wanted to."

"Wow Pete!" Myka said playfully. "You're reading things that aren't comic books!"

Pete groaned playfully. "What I won't do for you."

While their playful banter went back and forth Myka thought about what Pete said. They would have to say their baby was an experiment, but at least she could admit the baby was hers. Was she being selfish? They could always just say they used a male relative or something. Was it selfish of her to want to tell people the baby was both of theirs? Or was it pride? Or was it just that she loved Helena, and she would love their child, and she just wanted everyone to know that the little baby was something she and Helena had done together? Myka sighed.

"Look, Mykes, you and Helena will figure it all out." Pete reassured. "You two are going to be great moms."

Myka looked over at her best friend and asked, "You really think so?"

Pete gave her a genuine smile as he said, "Yeah, I really think so."

She returned the affectionate smile before admitting, "My Dad thinks I should marry Helena first."

"Oh a summer wedding would be fabulous!" Pete said with a bit of playful exaggeration.

"What if Helena doesn't want to get married?" Myka asked. "She's had the opportunity before and never once took it. She even refused to marry Christina's father."

"Yeah, of course she did." Pete replied as if that made perfect sense. "Back then she wouldn't have just been married to someone she'd have been like his possession or something. I can't see H.G. living like that. But there's also the fact that none of those losers were you." He smiled at her before continuing. "Myka, the fact that she's willing to have a kid with you, that says a lot. For Helena, that's really really putting her heart and sanity on the line. She wants to have your little baby Mykas and if that doesn't say forever I don't know what else could."

Pete had a point. Helena was willing to face the risk of having and loving another child, despite knowing that sometimes things spun out of control and bad things happened. There was also the fact that Helena wasn't the woman she'd been before. She'd been a woman out of place in Victorian society, born a century to soon. Of course she was going to buck against that social norms of the tie. But she was so a woman shaped by that culture, leaving her a little out of time in this brave new world she'd found herself in. Out of sync back then, and for a while out of time here, and yet here and now, with Myka, Helena had found where she fit, where she belonged. She was the beautiful Victorian porcelain doll that had found her place on the Isle of Misfit Toys.

Maybe Helena was just Victorian enough to want a traditional family and just modern enough to want it with Myka.

Turning to look at her best friend Myka was going to ask Pete when did he become so smart and insightful but her comment died on her tongue as she watched him shove a whole donut into his mouth and turn to smile a stuffed cheeked chipmunk smile at her. Myka rolled her eyes and laughed. "You better not have eaten my walnut crunch, Lattimer, or I'll help Helena invent that death ray."


	4. Chapter 4

She'd been gone for a week chasing down an artifact with Pete and all Myka wanted as she walked into the B&B was a hot bath, a decent meal, and most importantly Helena. Heading up to the room she and her girlfriend shared Myka was really hoping to find her raven haired Victorian waiting for her since Helena hadn't been at the Warehouse, but when she walked in she found the room empty. After dropping her bag on the floor Myka went over to her dresser to put her gun in the lockbox she kept it in. She smiled as she ran her fingers over the beautifully carved design and the words "Destined to Meet at Gun Point." The box had been a gift from Helena, built with her own two hands. Myka triggered the lock and something inside clicked. She lifted up the top to relive a place in the bottom half for her handgun, while the top half housed Helena's Tesla. Well at least Myka knew Helena wasn't on an assignment, other wise the Tesla's space would be empty.

When Myka turned away from the dresser she noticed Helena's tablet leaning against their pillows with a post-it note on the screen that read, "Wells and Bering. Solving Puzzles. Saving the day." Walking over Myka couldn't keep the smile off her lips. She and Helena did this from time to time, they left each other little notes, little puzzles to solve. It was fun, and silly, and so very them. After turning the device on Myka found it was locked, but when she tried Helena's lock code and it failed she frowned. She thought it out for a moment, Helena had clearly changed the lock code for a reason, but why and what was it? She idly tapped her fingertips against the sticky part of the post-it until she realized what she was doing. Looking at the post-it again her face lit up as her mind flashed back to that moment in the Regent Sanctum. When she typed in "Bering and Wells," the table unlocked.

The tablet popped up a text message that read, "She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed; She is woman, and therefore to be won." Myka knew instantly that the quote was from Shakespeare's Henry VI, so she searched the table for the play but found nothing, so she scanned the room. Then she realized her copy was most likely down in the small library where she and Helena spent a lot of their downtime. As she made her way down the stairs she wondered what her clever inventor slash author had up her sleeve. Myka felt a rush of excitement as she picked up her copy of Shakespeare's plays and quickly flipped to the page where the quote could be found. Stuck to the page was another post it.

In Helena's elegant script Myka read, "We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams." Myka blinked. That was one of Helena's quotes, well it was an "H.G. Wells" quote, but it had been Helena who'd told Charles to say it. Myka looked for her copy of The Time Machine, flipped through it, and then bit her lip when she didn't find anything. After checking every one of Helena's books and finding nothing she had to take a moment to think. "We all have our time machines…" She said out loud twice before it hit her. Helena's time machine in the H.G. Wells section of the Warehouse!

Any jetlag Myka might have been feeling before wore off in the thrill of Helena's game. Driving over to the Warehouse she made her way down to the section that housed all of the inventions and artifacts they had that were Helena's, and sure enough tucked into the crate that held the brilliant woman's time machine was an envelope. Inside on Helena's stationery in Helena's elegant handwriting was a jumble of letters and numbers; Myka would have to solve this clue before she could move on. She retreated to the Pete Cave so she could work out Helena's code in peace, and when she did she was just as confused. "Captain Crunch peanut butter cupcake. 3pm." She looked over the coded puzzle again and got the same phrase. Sitting back in Pete's recliner she looked at the sentence for several minutes as she tried to figure out what the heck it meant. Helena didn't really like cold cereal, and certainly not the surgery kid's cereal Pete liked. But it didn't said cereal, it said cupcake, so Myka racked her brain until she remembered something. The walk in the park when Helena had come across the shelter's adoption event where she'd gotten Lulu, she'd been on her way to her favorite bakery for a treat, a Captain Crunch peanut butter cupcake! The name of the bakery had been Lulu's, which is where the little white pup had gotten her name.

Her mind flashed back to coming home and Myka realized that Lulu hadn't greeted her the way she always did, in fact the little white Maltese mix hadn't been anywhere in sight. Lulu at 3pm? Myka checked her watch, it was 2:30, so she had to be somewhere at 3 for Lulu? Well, the only place Lulu could be other than home or with Helena was the groomer or the vet. Pulling out her phone Myka tried the groomer first because there really wasn't a reason for Lulu to be at the vet unless she was hurt or sick. After a quick chat on the phone it was confirmed that Myka was suppose to pick Lulu up at 3pm, so she got back into her suv and drove into town. Now she was really curious about where this was going because this seemed liked a lot of effort just to get Myka to pick the dog up at the groomer. These little games normally ended in something more romantic, so Myka was hoping this was just another piece in the game because other wise she was going to be really disappointed.

"Hi." Myka said with a smile. "I'm here to pick up Lulu Wells."

"Of course Ms. Bering." The young woman behind the desk said. "Give us one moment and we'll bring her right out."

Myka thanked the young woman and the stepped away to look over the community board while she waited. A few minutes later a man came out with Lulu prancing beside him on her leash. They exchanged pleasantries, the young man praised Lulu for being so sweet and then just before Myka was about to leave he said, "Oh, I almost forgot." He pulled out a Smartphone and held it out to her. "Ms. Wells forgot this when she dropped Lulu off this morning."

"Thanks." Myka said as she accepted the phone with a smile. Once she was back in the car she looked the phone over. It wasn't Helena's but it was one of the spares they kept around. She turned it on only to find it locked. She hummed as she gave the lock code some thought. It seemed to be another phrase but what? When Lulu nudged her hand Myka automatically started to pet her, and that's when she noticed the pup was wearing little doggy barrettes in the fur by her ears. "Aww, Lulu, you look so cute." She smiled as she pulled the little dog into her lap and laughed when Lulu shook her head as if to shake them out. "Now, Conner said Mummy asked for those specifically. You have to leave them in until she sees you." Upon closer examination Myka realized just what Helena had asked for. "Wait, are those apples?" She fingered one of the barrettes and then picked up the phone again. She tried apples but that didn't work, she thought it through a moment and then tried, "I smell apples."

When the phone unlocked it went right into a GPS app. Myka set Lulu into her doggy car seat, put the phone in a cup holder, and pulled out of the parking lot. "Lets hope we're not about to pick up the dry cleaning." Lulu just shook her head again in another vein attempt to get the barrettes out of her fur, and it made Myka laugh. She followed the GPS's directions out to a farm where it then had her driving down a long dirt road and into an orchard. That's when she realized that Helena had tinkered with the phone and the app because after it told her she had arrived at her destination it told her to bring Lulu and start walking north into the cluster of apple trees. Myka walked until she came to a small brook that separated the apple orchard from the farm's cheery orchard and she smiled. Not far from here was the spot where Rebecca and Jack had awoken following their possession by herself and Pete. She walked a little more and then the GPS told her to stop and turn around.

Myka gasped softly. Tucked under an apple tree several feet from the brook were a blanket and pillows and a picnic basket off to the side. As she got closer to the setting she noticed that in the middle of the blanket was a book, but still no sign of Helena. After setting Lulu on the blanket Myka sat down as well and picked up the book. She smiled brightly; it was the copy of Jane Eyre Helena was currently reading to her. For Myka there was hardly anything better than a rainy night tucked into Helena's side while a fire burned and she listened to Helena reading to her. When Myka went to open the book it opened right in the middle because it had been turned into a clever hiding place. On the left side of the book Helena's stationery had been pasted into place and she'd written out another quote.

"I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

"Oh Helena." Myka said softly as her fingers brushed over the elegant handwriting.

All of the pages of the right side of the book had been fused together and a hole dug into them. Nestled into that hole was a cylindrical cryptex made of wood and brass with a set of four rotating synthetic ivory disks with letters on them, each set contained a different number of single disks to spell out four different words. It was clearly something Helena had made herself, and it would require another phrase to unlock it. Myka bit her lip as she looked at the device in her hands and tried to figure out what the phrase could be. For a moment her bright green eyes flicked back to the book and she reread what Helena had written, she read it again and that's when she noticed that there was a small mark under the letter m in flame. That triggered her eidetic memory and it allowed her to recall all of Helena's handwritten notes. The letter w in wooed had a mark, the y in carry, the m in pm, and finally the m in flame. So maybe those were the first letters in each word of the cryptex phrase? Myka rolled each letter into place and those disks locked, triggering their assigned gears to move inside the cylinder. Myka felt a trill as she worked out Helena's puzzle.

First word has four letters starts with w? Will? Disk locks, gears click, and Myka smiles again. Second word is three letters starts with y? You? Disk locks, gears click, Myka's smile falters a little and her heart gives a hard squeeze. Third word, five letters and it starts with m? Marry? Disk locks, gears click, and Myka gasps as her heart begins to race and her eyes burn with tears. Last word, two letters, starts with m, ends in e. Me? Disk locks, gears click, and the cryptex opens. Myka can't breath as a beautiful emerald ring falls into the palm of her hand as her tear blurry green eyes read over the whole message. Will you marry me?

"I have for the first time found what I can truly love." Helena said softly from where she stood after coming out of hiding. Her heart had stopped beating in her chest and she'd forgotten how to breathe as she'd watched Myka solve her final puzzle. When Myka looked up at her with those beautifully glistening green eyes she continued, "I have found you."

She walked towards Myka as she spoke. "You are my sympathy, my better self, my good angel. I am bound to you with a strong attachment." Helena knelt on the blanket in front of Myka and took her hands in her own. "I think you good, gifted, lovely. A fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart." She raised their joined hands and pressed Myka's to her chest, over her heart. "It leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you, and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one." Helena reached out to brush at the tears on Myka's cheeks.

"Helena." Myka breathed out the other woman's name as if it were something sacred.

Helena's dark eyes sparkled as she smiled, "I went into the bronzer hoping to find myself in a better world, a brighter future, and what did I find? I found you." Myka smiled, which made her smile. She wiped away a few more tears and then asked, "So what is the answer to the puzzle, darling? Will you marry me?"

"Yes." Myka said, her voice cracking. "Yes!" She repeated before tackling Helena to the ground and kissing her hard. The kiss was long and passionate and full of promises for the future. When it came to an end for the want of air both women laughed, and cried, and rode the wave of emotion that crashed over them as Helena slipped the ring onto Myka's finger.

"It's beautiful Helena." Myka said after staring at the ring for several long moments.

"Emeralds are said to be the gem of hope, and faith. You had faith in me when I didn't even have faith in myself." Helena said as she held Myka in her arms, her back pressed against the tree, and Myka sat between her legs. "It's sacred the Goddess Venus, and it was believed that it preserved love."

"And it's green." Myka said with a smirk.

"Yes." Helena replied with a smirk of her own.

"And you like green." Myka said as she shifted in Helena's arms to look at her.

"Yes." Helena answered.

"Because my eyes are green." Myka said smugly.

Helena laughed. "Yes."

Myka leaned in close to press a kiss to Helena's lips. They basked in the moment for a while, whispering words of love and dreaming of days to come. As Helena began to pull their meal from the picnic basket Myka looked down at the ring on her finger and then up at the woman she loved and asked, "Did Pete tell you about this?"

"Did Pete tell me about what, my love?" Helena asked as she opened one of the plastic containers.

"About me trying to figure out if this is something you wanted?" Myka clarified. When Helena looked up at her the look in Helena's eyes answered for her. "You had no idea I was thinking about marriage did you?"

"I didn't." Helena admitted. "I was aware that something has been on your mind, but when I've asked you've always spoken of your concerns regarding the baby. Why did you not mention you were thinking about marrying me?"

"Because I wasn't sure how you felt about marriage now." Myka answered honestly. "You were against it in your past."

Helena smiled softly in understanding. "What I was against was having my legal standing in society relegated to the status of a child. I would have become the ward of my husband and his estate. That is what I refused to do." Reaching out Helena tucked a strand of hair behind Myka's ear. "There is also the fact that I have loved no one the way I love you. I could not marry in my past because you were in my future."

Myka grabbed Helena's hand and brought it to her mouth so she could place a kiss on Helena's wrist. "How long have you been planning this?"

"The cryptex took a couple of months." Helena admitted. "Mostly waiting on materials and finding time to work on it. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Best surprise ever." Myka said before pushing herself forward so she could kiss the woman she was going to marry. "Helena." She breathed softly at the end of the kiss.

"Yes my love?" Helena replied, her voice just as soft.

"Read to me?" Myka asked with a smile.

"For the rest of our lives." Helena replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Walking into the common room of the B&B Myka and Helena, fresh off a taxing snag and bag, found Claudia sitting cross-legged on the sofa staring at the television. Their young friend had been over the moon when they'd told her about their engagement and she hadn't stopped smiling since. In fact everyone had been absolutely thrilled for them, even Mrs. Frederic who they had feared would be against it for some reason. They were still waiting to hear if the Regents would sanction their marriage or if they would be forced to choose between having a real life outside the Warehouse and the Warehouse, but Pete kept saying he was having good vibes about it so they weren't to worried, just worried enough for Myka to have chewed her thumb sore. Each of their friends had been called in and interviewed by the Regents, and according to Claudia one of their biggest advocates was Jane Lattimer, along with Mrs. Frederic, and of course herself, so everything would be fine.

While they waited for official word they went ahead and began to plan their wedding. It would be small, a getaway style wedding at a desert resort in Arizona, which is why it was a little odd that Claudia was watching My Fair Wedding. "Claudia." Myka said in that older sister tone of hers as she and Helena sat on either side of the younger woman. "You know every thing is being handled by the planner at the resort, right?"

Claudia had been kind of disappointed that they wouldn't let her throw them the most kick ass wedding ever, one closer to home, but she understood the need to keep Myka's family as far from the Warehouse as possible. Any hurt feelings had quickly been soothed over when Myka and Helena had asked her to stand up for them, along with Pete, during the ceremony. It also helped that Myka and Helena had agreed to allow her, as Maid of Honor, to plan their Hen Night as Helena called it. "I know." She finally replied. "But I can't seem to stop watching this show, it's like tv crack, and besides, it's giving me ideas for Jinksy and Liam."

Steve's head shot up as he made a very Pete like sound that kind of had hints of confused Scooby-Doo thrown in. "Wait, what?"

"Nothing, go back to whatever you were doing." Claudia said with a sweet smile.

Before Steve could response Artie's voice bellowed through the house. "Myka!"

"Uh-oh, sounds like Dad's mad." Claudia said with an amused smirk.

When Artie found them he was carrying two large accordion folders under each arm, which he set down in front of Myka. "Do you know how far behind you are on file reports and paperwork?" He asked her with a fatherly glare. "I expect Pete to get behind, Claudia, even little Ms. I can invent a whole new genre but I can't keep up on my reports," Helena huffed and crinkled her nose like a five year old. "But not you. Get them done."

After Artie left Claudia turned to Myka and said, "He just hates dealing with the Regents. It makes him extra grumpy."

"I know." Myka said with a soft smile before gathering her work and heading for the library. Since Helena was part of the reason she was behind it didn't surprise her when her fiancée didn't follow. Now that things were almost settled in her life, and it was kind of slow at the Warehouse, she could focus on something as mundane as paperwork. After flying out to Arizona with Helena and Claudia to check out the resort, and back to back to back cases, Myka actually welcomed the quiet steadiness of it. Myka worked until she was caught up and then carried it up to her room to hold onto until Artie came by for the morning meeting. As she was coming out of her room she heard voices and video game sounds coming from Pete's room, that wouldn't normally be unusual but one of the voices she heard was Helena's.

Creeping down the hall Myka peeked into Pete's room and smirked. Pete was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside Helena who was sitting in his gamer chair. She had his black XBox controller in her hand, and on the television screen was one of Pete's role-playing fantasy games. Myka smothered a laugh as she listened to Pete trying to backseat play while Helena's character was in the middle of a battle.

"Bollocks!" Helena swore as she played. "Bollocks bollocks bollocks! Go down you stupid templar tosser! Sodding Meredith!"

Pete was cracking up. "And you thought Loghain was bad."

"Have you ever noticed that Flemeth kind of sounds like your mother?" Helena asked while mashing the buttons on the controller and swaging in her chair as if her own motion would help the characters.

"I have and it's creepy as hell." Pete answered. "Watch out for the statues!"

Myka stood quietly in the doorway watching and at the end of the game ending battle when Helena had defeated her foe Myka looked on with such love and awe in her eyes as Helena gave a cheer. Helena was so full of contrasts that Myka knew she would never grow tired of being around her, you weren't ever really sure which side of Helena you'd seen in any given moment.

Pete beamed in pride as he announced, "Next we take on Mass Effect."

"Does it have the same storytelling style?" Helena asked as she handed Pete the controller and then accepted his hand as he helped her out of the gamer chair.

Pete smiled. "You'll love it I promise."

"Pete." Myka said in a playfully sharp tone. "Have you turned Helena into a gamer?"

"Trying to." Pete admitted with a roguish smirk. "She's more fun to play with then Steve. She yells at the games, and swears a blue streak."

Myka laughed as she walked into the room and over to where Helena was standing.

"The storytelling it rather good." Helena said with a bright and playful smile. "It reminds me a bit of the stories I would tell Christina." The fact that Helena was willing to freely talk about her daughter around Pete said a lot about how far she'd come over the years. "The choices she would make during the story would direct the course of how I told it."

"Did you tell her stories about knights and dragons?" Pete asked.

Helena thought for a moment and nodded with a warm smile. "Her knights were always women and the dragons were always true loves under a wicked curse."

"She must have had a wonderful imagination." Myka said as she slipped her hand into Helena's.

"She did. She loved good stories." Helena said. It was becoming easier to remember her beloved Christina, and Helena was grateful for that because remembering her, sharing her memories of her, kept Christina alive in a way. "She was particularly found of Arthur's stories and had the most adorable little girl crush on Sherlock."

Of course bringing up Sherlock led to Helena and Pete arguing over who was the best television Sherlock. Helena's choice was Benedict Cumberbatch while Pete favored Jonny Lee Miller. Myka smiled as the three of them made their way downstairs for dinner. She loved seeing how close two of the most important people in her life had become to each other. When she'd become sick, when she'd been facing the most terrifying moments of her life, Pete and Helena had banded together to be there for her, and it had resulted in a strong bond between them, one that had actually started forming following the nightmare with Sykes.

Several days later Jane finally arrived to let them know what the Regents had decided. She said that one of the many factors behind their agreement to allow Helena and Myka to remain was that they really didn't want to look for five new agents.

"Five?" Myka asked.

Jane nodded. "For the most part the Regents took into account your work with the Warehouse, as well as the sacrifices you've made for it. They can't ignore the fact that with the current group of agents the Warehouse has never worked so well. Nor can they ignore the positive changes the two of you have brought about. There were times in history when the Warehouse was to be feared, but you've all brought a sense of compassion to things, and that is in part because you've all become a family of sorts."

Myka and Helena were both smiling. They had seen the results of the Warehouse's past mistakes, and they took pride in knowing that they'd had even the smallest part in making it better.

"And the reason Mrs. Frederic would need to find five replacements?" Helena asked.

Jane's thoughts drifted back two weeks to the oak walled room where a specially selected panel of Regents had gathered to interview everyone on the matter. She was there as Myka and Helena's advocate, not to vote on the matter, and as such she'd been able to sit in on the interviews.

"_As much as I want to become Caretaker, and I really really want to become Caretaker, if you force Myka and Helena to leave just because they want to share their lives together and have a future, then I'm out to. The Warehouse gave me my family and I will always be grateful for that, but if I have to, I'll choose my family over the Warehouse. Well, no, that's not right. The Warehouse wants them there, so I'd be choosing them over you, the Regents, and your need to control the lives of people you don't even really know."_

Her colleagues had been surprised that Claudia would make that kind of sacrifice, but she wasn't. She'd seen Claudia's devotion to the people she loved.

"_I can't do this without Myka, I won't, and I'm not willing to loose H.G. again either. We've all been through too much together to be broken up now. So if you decide they can't remain with the Warehouse because they want to get married and have a kid, then you might as well replace me too." _

Jane had always been proud of her son, but in that moment he was so much his father's son that she raided pride like the sun giving warmth to the earth. The Regents could have, and would have, chalked Pete and Claudia's declarations up to the fact that they'd all come in together and had formed a sentimental attachment. They could have refused to let their statements of loyalty have any weight, but that option was taken away from them when Artie, a seasoned long standing agent who'd devoted his life to the Warehouse knocked them all on their asses.

"_I have given my life to the Warehouse. I have given up everything and devoted myself to it, and as much as I've loved every moment, I don't want that for my people. I want more for them. I think this group can handle both the Warehouse and personal lives. They showed me that life can be and should be more. If you don't think so, then it's time for me to retire."_

"They did what?" Myka said with wide eyes.

Jane smiled at the young woman. "For the first time in a long time the Regents were force to face the fact that the people we ask to work for the Warehouse are people, and people need more then what the Warehouse, as remarkable as it is, can offer."

It was a huge relief to know that they wouldn't have to leave the work and people they both loved so much. Jane warned them that there were still concerns about bringing a child into the Warehouse's atmosphere, but those were concerns they could tackle later. For now their wedding was front and center, and they were both excited about it all.

They arrived at the resort on Thursday afternoon. After checking in and settling into their beautiful room with it's stunning mountain view, they met with the wedding planner to go over the last minute details and to make sure everything was just the way they'd arranged it. Following drinks with the woman who would be officiating, Helena surprised Myka with an evening out and tickets the to the opera. It was just the calm enjoyable one on one evening they both needed before things went crazy.

Friday morning Pete and Claudia arrived, and then the Berings, Warren and Jean first followed quickly by Myka's sister Tracy and her husband Kevin. Myka's parents liked Helena but her sister was still on the fence, she didn't understand this seemingly sudden change in her sister, but more to the point, and it hurt Myka to admit this, Tracy was worried about what people would think of her once word got out back home that her sister was married to another woman.

"Are you alright darling?" Helena asked after Tracy and Kevin went up to their rooms to freshen up before the bridal shower luncheon they were having that afternoon.

Myka gave Helena a soft reassuring smile. "I'm fine. She'll get use to this, to us, and until then I'm not going to let it bother me."

"Good, I'm glad." Helena said with a loving smile before pressing a kiss to Myka's temple.

They were just about to leave the lobby when a loud and excited voice called out, "Helena!"

Helena turned and her whole face lit up. "Adelaide!"

The girl rushed over to Helena and threw her arms around her in a tight hug. "I'm so happy you invited us."

She had, as promised, kept in contact with Adelaide and Nate. Helena had so few friends, fewer still outside the Warehouse, and it meant a great deal to her to have them remain in her life. "I'm so very pleasured you both could come." While she hugged Adelaide tightly to her she looked and smiled at the girl's father. "Hello Nate."

"Hi." Nate said with a warm smile. "It's good to see you both again."

Myka smiled as she shook Nate's hand. "Thank you for coming. It really does mean a lot to Helena, and to me as well."

While Nate checked them into the hotel Helena and Adelaide talked as if they didn't write to each other all time or speak on the phone every couple of weeks. Once Nate had them checked in he and Adelaide headed up to their room to freshen up, as did Helena and Myka. The look on Helena's face made Myka smile. Helena was beautiful but she was even more beautiful when she was happy.

The luncheon was in a beautiful room that opened out onto a deck that over looked the beautiful landscape of the resort. As their guests gathered and mingled one of the resorts chiefs was outside preparing the gourmet grilled lunch menu that Myka and Helena had chosen. It was a little nerve racking as everyone chatted and introduced themselves, since there was a vastly large difference in knowledge when it came to the Warehouse. Artifacts had affected Myka's parents and sister but they didn't know Myka risked her life everyday chasing those things down or about the magical warehouse in Nowhere South Dakota. Amanda knew a little more than the Berings, but knew better than to ask for details. Myka had been a little leery of inviting Amanda given the resent loss of her husband, but as she watched the tall blonde Marine with Pete and Jane she knew she'd done the right thing. Joshua had the most knowledge of the Warehouse for a civilian, but he knew how to watch what he said so they didn't need to worry about him too much.

"I think Adelaide is in awe of Mrs. Frederic." Helena said as she came up behind Myka and gently slipped her hand onto Myka's hip. "And Mrs. Frederic is surprisingly good with children."

Myka smiled. "Good to know. Maybe we can get her to babysit."

Helena laughed. "That could prove rather amusing."

The meal was delicious, even Pete stopped complaining that there were no burgers and hot dogs after polished off two helpings of everything. The meringue and macaron cookies were delightful, so good in fact that Myka was positive if Helena ate one more salted caramel macaron she wasn't going to fit into her dress tomorrow, so she made Claudia hide the rest. They were given a variety of gifts including a beautiful leather bound book from Myka's parents. "To write the story of your life together in." Warren explained before brushing off the sentiment by asking why Lulu and Trailer were present.

"Claudia!" Myka yelped as she opened their young friend's gift only to slam the lid of the gift box back down.

"Oh come on!" Claudia said teasingly. "Don't be a prude!"

"They're lovely, Claudia." Helena said sweetly, refereeing to the Victoria Secret lingerie in the box. "But perhaps a gift best not given in mixed company?"

After what appeared to be all the gifts were opened Claudia gathered up just their tiny little Warehouse family to give them another. "I know she would have wanted you to have this."

It was a painting of the two of them sitting together on the leather sofa in the library reading. A fire burned in the fireplace, there was rain on the window, and they each had a light throw over them, Helena around her shoulders and Myka's over her legs. Myka's free hand rested on Helena's thigh while Helena's played with Myka's hair. It was beautiful, and the signature in the bottom corner brought tears to both women's eyes and a small sob from Myka's lips. "Leena."

"You weren't even together yet back then but she still knew." Claudia said softly. "She'd be so happy about this, about you two."

"She'll be there tomorrow." Abigail said softly. "She and Christina both will be there to watch your most joyous moments together."

Artie gave them his gift when they had a moment alone. Pulling an envelope out of his pocket he handed it to Helena. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a place where you two haven't been?"

Helena slipped out plane tickets and hotel reservations. She and Myka were both wide eyed as she said, "A week in Moorea?"

"It's an island between Tahiti and Bora Bora." Artie explained.

"It's a honeymoon!" Myka said with a huge beaming smile and teary eyes.

Artie grumbled something about yes and it was partly Vanessa's idea too. He grumbled even more when both women hugged him and kissed his cheeks.

After the luncheon Myka and Helena got some time alone in their room to relax and talk about the wonderful afternoon they'd had with family and friends. They had been through so much in their lives that it was nice to have such a wonderful experience, and time to just be happy, to laugh and have fun, and to love every moment together.

"We should probably get ready." Myka said as she lay in Helena's arm on the bed.

"I must admit I'm a little worried about what Claudia has planned." Helena admitted with a chuckle.

"Given her gift I think we should be worried." Myka agreed.

"One thing is for sure." Helena said. "It'll be a fun night."

The evening started off tame enough. The first stop on Claudia's Hen Night agenda was a jazz club where they enjoyed live music and their first round of drinks. It was the second stop that caused a bit of an issue. As everyone, including Jean Bering, got out of the stretch Hummer limo Myka looked over the building in front of them. She was, as Pete would say, having a bad vibe about this place. "Claudia, where are we?"

"You'll see." Claudia said excitedly.

Just inside the first door in the lobby Pete, Steve, Liam and Josh were waiting. Most of the night would be girls only, but Claudia couldn't deny them this, it was going to be fun! Pushing open the doors to the main room Claudia waved her hand in a sweeping motion. "Let the fun begin!"

"Claudia!" Myka gasped. "It's a strip club!"

"Yeap." Claudia said proudly.

Everyone but Pete looked on in various degrees of shock.

"Is that an elf?" Amanda asked.

"Cos Play strippers!" Claudia confirmed. "This place is epic!"

"I've always wondered what these places were like." Jean said as she wondered off.

Myka and Tracy exchanged a look that asked, "Did our mother just make a b-line for a fireman stripper?"

Helena smiled as she took Myka hand and led her further into the club. "Come along, Bering. This could be exciting!"

Myka wasn't so sure, especially after some drunken fanboy asked if she'd ever been a Vampire in Chicago. "No, but I was a zombie in Ithaca once." She replied before picking up the drinks she'd been waiting for and quickly returning to the table where Helena waited for her. It took two vodka tonics before Myka relaxed enough to enjoy things. She laughed when Pete decided to show of his own lap dancing skills for Amanda, and blushed a bright red when he and Claudia insisted on getting lap dances for her and Helena.

"The naughty librarian is for Myka." Claudia announced.

"And the mad scientist is for H.G." Pete added.

Myka and Helena rolled their eyes and smiled politely as Claudia and Pete cracked up at their brilliant plan. Surprisingly it was Jean who had the most fun. As they made their way back out to the Hummer she looked at her daughters and said, "Will you two stop looking at me like I'm a dead nun. I can still remember how to have a good time ya know."

The final stop of the night was an 'authentic' English pub for more drinking and live music. With the exception of Pete no one was going back to the resort sober, but thanks to Claudia and Andre Rene Rousimoff aka Andre the Giant's beer stein, which she'd hidden in the Hummer no one would be waking up hung over.

"Oh no you don't." Claudia said when they finally returned to the resort. "H.G. comes with me."

"Excuse me?" Helena asked with an amused look.

"Night before your wedding, or well, morning before your wedding anyway." Claudia said. "This is where you two part ways. Helena's in my room tonight."

"And what about me?" Myka said with a drunken pout. "I don't wanna be by myself."

"You're staying with me." Abigail said.

Both brides pouted until Helena sighed and said, "Then I suppose this is goodnight darling."

Myka was still pouting as Helena kissed her goodnight.

"Until tomorrow my love." Helena said softly.

"Don't be late, Wells." Myka teased.


	6. Chapter 6

Every moment between them, passed through their minds while Myka and Helena got ready for their wedding ceremony. They remembered the spark that passed between them when Myka came around the corner at Atlas House while announcing that H.G. Wells was in fact a woman. They could both recall the softness of the other's skin as Helena had brushed her fingers over Myka's hand while Myka handcuffed her to that chair. Helena smiled as she remembered the look of awe in Myka's eyes while she lay pinned to the ceiling of Helena's home. Myka recalls the flicker of excitement that washed over her when she discovered H.G. in the wrestling coach's office, and the unexpected disappointment when she turned in the lab to find her gone. Even though she'd had ulterior motives for wanting to come back to the Warehouse Myka had seen past that to the heart of Helena while they dangled from Helena's grapple. She might not have had the key to the puzzle back then, but over time Myka was able to put the pieces together and learn who the remarkable woman behind the name really was. Once Myka had gotten past the armor of grief and anger and hate the woman laid bare before her was astounding, beautiful, brilliant, and it really wasn't a surprise that Helena was the one meant for her.

Myka had believed in her when no one else did, not even herself. Despite everything Helena had tried to do, everything she had done, Myka held her protectively in her heart, in her very soul. It was the kind of love story that her contemporaries were writing while she wrote about aliens invading earth, mad men and beastly men, and the struggle between eloi and morlocks. What would they think of her now, those men who so often asked why she refused to take a husband? Dear Arthur who's logical minded protagonist was often seen as being in a romance with the good Doctor Watson, or sweet flamboyant Oscar who hardly ever had a nice thing to say about love and certainly never a kind word for marriage. And what of her beloved brother? What would dear darling Charles make of all of this, of her, and of Myka? He would have adored her. It was so easy for Helena to picture Myka and Charles spending hours debating this or that or trying to best each other in fencing or chess. She'd had a vivid dream once where Myka had been there with her in Victorian England, married to Charles but in love with her, and while Charles had his countless affairs she and Myka raised Christina together, the pair of them still working for the Warehouse.

Stepping out of the bath Helena thought about telling Myka of that dream. She might get a laugh out of the idea of being married to Charles. Slipping into a fluffy white towel she went out into the suite she'd shared with Claudia to eat a light lunch before the spa people came up to do her hair and makeup. Seeing that Claudia was nowhere insight Helena retrieved her cell phone from the younger woman's jacket and smiled as she sent a text to Myka. She wasn't surprised when Myka responded that she wasn't feeling hung over which meant her suspicions about an artifact being present last night were correct. Helena was grateful to her darling girl; the last thing she wanted today was a god-awful headache. Settling in at the table by the window Helena typed out her next message and then set her phone aside to spread some sweet cream on her chocolate raspberry scone.

Myka paused mid-bite, leaving the fork in her mouth, to reply before returning her attention back to her omelet. Like Helena she had spent a wonderful hour or so in a hot rose scented bath, but unlike Helena she didn't have to wait on the spa people. Helena loved Myka's curls so Myka would be leaving her curls but taming them. She would have her hair partially pinned, mostly keeping it away from her face, with the rest in soft beautiful curls. In order to get the look she wanted they needed to start the taming process now, so Beatrice from the spa was working on her hair while she ate and texted Helena.

"What are you doing?" Claudia asked as she caught Helena in the middle of a text. "Are you talking to Myka?"

"No." Helena said honestly. "I'm texting her. There are no rules about texting your bride before the wedding."

Claudia rolled her eyes as she draped the garment bags containing their dresses on the back of the sofa. "Your hair and make up people are on their way up, say goodbye."

"As you wish." Helena said as she sent her final text.

Claudia smiled. "They're starting to set everything up. It's going to be awesome." Walking over to the table she took a seat beside her friend. "Are you getting nervous?"

"A little." Helena admitted honestly. "It's all a little overwhelming."

"You and Myka deserve this, Helena." Claudia said lovingly. "You've earned a happy ever after."

Helena smiled brightly at the younger woman as she reached for Claudia's hands. "Did you know I had three brothers?" She asked the girl. "I was closest to Charles because we were so close in age. Our elder brothers were practically out of the house by the time I arrived, but that didn't weaken how I felt about having brothers. Every birthday candle wish, every Christmas cracker wish, I wished for the same thing, a sister." Helena's face glowed with love as she said, "Took you a bloody long time to get here."

"I was waiting on indoor plumbing and the internet." Claudia said before throwing herself into Helena's open arms.

There was a knock at Myka's door before Pete's voice called out, "Mykes! You decent?"

Her face lit up as she called back, "I am, come in." She was sitting in an armchair getting a mani-pedi and when he walked into the room she laughed so hard she nearly made the young woman mess up her nails. Pete was in his black dress shirt, a pair of wine and gold basketball shorts, and flip-flops. "Well, that's a look."

"I need help with the cufflinks." Pete said as he walked over to where Myka was sitting.

"You'll have to wait a couple of minutes." Myka replied as she nodded towards her nails.

Pete nodded as he flopped onto the couch. He inspected his own nails and smiled as he said, "Had mine done this morning while you were still sleeping off last night." When Myka shot him a look he chuckled. "I like to look good."

Myka rolled her eyes. They were quite for several long minutes until Myka finally asked, "Why are you staring at me?"

Pete smiled. "You look happy, and I'm getting so many good vibes I think I'm a little stoned from it."

"I am happy, Pete." Myka said with a smile. Once her nails were done and they were alone she said, "Standing here now, in this moment, looking out into the future, I haven't felt like this since the first time I looked out over the Warehouse, full of awe and wonder and excitement and even a little fear."

Pete smiled as he saw it all flicker in his best friends eyes. "Is that why you engraved Helena's band with, you are my endless wonder?" Myka nodded with a slight blush to her cheeks and he smiled a little more as he reached for her hand. "Do me a favor Mykes?"

There was a seriousness to his tone that made Myka put her other hand over his. "What is it Pete?"

"Don't lose her." Pete said earnestly. "Do whatever it takes to make it work, Mykes. She is your one, and I don't mean the Warehouse one, I mean she's the one and only meant to be in your heart, who shares your soul, she's the one you shouldn't ever have to live without. So, do whatever it takes to keep her with you always."

"You regret loosing Amanda, don't you?" Myka said softly. Pete nodded. "I promise you Pete, I will put everything I am into this. Helena and I both will."

He smiled and then to break up the emotional moment he said, "Good, because who would get me in the custody battle?"

Myka laughed. "Me, and H.G. on the weekends."

"Oh! I wonder if she'd take me to the McDonalds with the awesome play place!" Pete joked.

"You're a goof." Myka told him before throwing her arms around his neck.

"I know." Pete said as he wrapped is arms around her. "But I'm your goof." He held her for a moment longer before pulling back and dropping his black and silver batman cufflinks into her hand. "Now help with these will ya."

Helena stood in front of the mirror taking in her reflection. Her dress was absolutely stunning, a modern take on something she might have worn once upon a time only without the full skirt that required a wide berth. The dress was white satin faced chiffon, with lace appliqué and tulle from the waist up. The long sleeves were hand-beaded lace, with a beaded scalloped lace bateau neckline over a plunging sweetheart bodice with re-embroidered lace appliqués and hand-beaded accents. It had a jewel beaded natural waistband, plunging scalloped V-back neckline, side-draped skirt with cascading ruffle and chapel length train. Simple, elegant, classic and modern at the same time, it was so Helena. Helena smiled as she turned this way and that taking it all in, the dress, her upswept hair, her perfect makeup and freshly painted nails, her gorgeous shoes.

"Wow." Pete said as he stood in the doorway of the room with wide eyes and a sappy smile. "Wow."

Helena chuckled as she turned to face him. "You said that twice."

"It bears repeating." Pete said. "Wow."

"Thank you Pete." Helena said with a blush.

It took a moment for Pete to regain the ability to think. "I have something for you."

"You do?" Helena asked with a sweet smile.

Pete nodded as he moved closer to her, holding out a small jewelry box. "Claudia said that your dress really didn't allow for you to wear one of your lockets. I guess she meant the lacey stuff." He wagged his finger at the neckline of Helena's dress. "So I thought… Well…"

Helena opened the box to find a stunning silver charm bracelet with a heart shaped locket. Suddenly trembling fingers opened the locket to find her beautiful Christina. "Oh Pete."

He didn't say a word. He simply stepped closer, took the bracelet from its velvet nest, gently raised Helena's right hand and put the bracelet on her. Then he took the handkerchief from his pocket, not the black one in the breast pocket of his tux jacket because Myka just fixed that and she'd kill him, but the white one he carried in his pant's pocket, and tenderly wiped at Helena's tears, careful not to ruin her makeup.

Before Pete could step away Helena had her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you."

"You might be the oldest," Pete said as he returned the hug. "Ya know being like one hundred and fifty and all," He smirked because he could feel her groan even if she didn't make any sound. "But I'm the big brother in this misfit family. I'm just looking out for my girls."

Pulling back and snatching his handkerchief to wipe at fresh tears Helena said, "You are impossibly sweet man-child."

"Yeap, that's me." Pete said brightly.

There was another knock on Myka's door, which Claudia answered, so she continued to triple check herself in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. It was the sound of her mother's gasp that made Myka turn around.

"Oh Myka, look at you." Jean said softly. "You're beautiful."

"Thanks." Myka said with a soft smile. Myka's dress, like Helena's, was a modern take on a classic look. The charmeuse, a lightweight shimmery satin, dress was a v-neck halter with a ruched surplice bodice. It's dropped waist had a beaded embroidery band that rested perfectly on Myka's hips. The short train extended from Myka's waist and was about a yard or so long. It was something right out of the golden age of the late 20s. Myka's dark curls pulled back, and her grandmother's silver beaded hair comb slipped in just off to the side, and her perfect makeup finished off the look. Myka was absolutely breathtaking.

"White huh?" Warren asked.

"It's ivory Dad." Myka replied. Not even her Dad's little constant criticisms would bring her down from the happy little cloud she was on today.

"Shut up Warren." Jean told her husband firmly.

"It's alright." Warren continued with a smirk. "Your mother shouldn't have worn white to our wedding either."

"Warren, really!" Jean sighed.

Stepping closer to his eldest daughter Warren kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful sweetheart."

"Thanks Dad." Myka gave him a soft smile.

After spending a few minutes with her parents Myka sent them off to take their seats. The wedding ceremony would be on the balcony of the Spirit Song building with the Red Rock Mountains at sunset as their backdrop. Then they would move to the area near the creek to have dinner under the sycamore and cottonwood trees, before going into the adjoining open walled building to party.

"Oh my god you have to see this." Claudia said as she rushed over to Myka to show her the picture Vanessa just sent her. "V and Artie just picked Trailer and Lulu up from the doggy spa."

"Aww!" Myka said as she looked at the image of Trailer freshly bathed and brushed, sporting a black bowtie, and Lulu freshly bathed and groomed and glittering with a sparkly collar and fur ribbons. Then Myka's smile faulted. "Oh god. We're those people."

Claudia laughed. "Na, don't worry about it. I've been dressing Trailer up behind Artie's back for years."

"That would explain the Star Trek shirt to small for anyone in the house but him." Myka said with a laugh. A moment later she softened, as she looked her friend over and smiled. Claudia was wearing a strapless dress with an empire waist, a light gray under lining and black tulle caviar beaded overlay. In contrast Pete would be wearing a gray tux over a black shirt. "Claudia, you look amazing."

"Guess I clean up pretty well." Claudia replied with a blush. Then she smiled at Myka and asked, "Are you ready? It's almost time."

Myka nodded. "I am. Claudia, thank you." She said while catching the younger woman's arm. "You've been rooting for me and Helena since day one, and even when it seemed like we'd never get here, you stayed so sure of it, so hopeful. It really is perfect that you'll be standing up there with us tonight."

"Captain of the SS. Bering and Wells reporting for duty!" Claudia said with a playful salute, but the love and admiration in her eyes let Myka know just how much Claudia loved them, and how much her words meant to her.

Myka laughed softly as she hugged the young woman. "I'm so asking Helena to make you a little toy boat for the bathtub with that name on it."

"Would you!" Claudia replied excitedly. "Dude that would be awesome sauce!"

While everyone gathered and began taking their seats piano and cello versions of contemporary pieces such as Phillip Phillips' Home and Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up played. It really was a stunning setting, the music, the candles as they flickered in the purple haze of twilight while the sky began taking on hues of pink and orange as the sun dipped closer to the horizon. Once everyone was seated and it was time to start the piano and cello duo started playing Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, Claudia's choice, and moments later she and Pete made their way towards the official who stood on a slightly raised dais.

Then it was the brides' turn.

On one of their first official dates Myka had taken Helena to a sing-a-long showing of The Sound of Music, since then every once in awhile Myka would catch Helena humming one of the songs while looking at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Since neither of them wanted to use the traditional bridal marches Myka suggested they do something a little different. A beautiful instrumental version of Something Good began to play, and they each smiled before taking their first steps towards each other. They weren't walking down the center aisle but coming from stage right and stage left, walking towards each other, towards their new life together in unison rather then having one walk and wait on the other. As Helena had said, "I have you darling, I'm done waiting."

They were both staggered by the other one's beauty and for several moments as they stood together the rest of the world melted away. In that moment they were the only two souls in existence.

"Any day now you two." Pete stage whispered which got a small laugh for the guests and soft blushes from the brides.

Helena and Myka smiled at each other once more before turning to face the official. The Reverend smiled warmly at the gathered guests while she spoke, "To all present I say: We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Helena and Myka the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today." Then she focused on Helena and Myka. " Helena, Myka, today you are surrounded by your friends and family, all of whom have gathered here to witness your marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion. Today, as you join yourselves in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great; and now falls upon your shoulders the task of choosing your values and making real your dreams. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life."

"Those who know Helena and Myka well know that they share of love of literature." The Reverend said to the guests. "Now we take a moment as they each share a reading. Helena."

Helena smiled. Everything deeply personal they needed to say to each other they wrote in letters. They shared their deepest and truest feelings only with each other, because a lot of what they had to say included a lot of secrets others couldn't know, or wouldn't understand. That's not to say that every word spoken here today didn't come from the depths of their hearts and souls, but in their letters they laid themselves bare, raw, and naked to each other. Today was simply a more public display of how deeply they felt for one another.

"A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks." Helena began, reciting a passage from Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne. "When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be." It was fitting because in so many ways Myka had tirelessly unlocked every one of Helena's locks, faithfully seeking out the true Helena, the one well beyond Emily Lake and even H.G. Wells. "Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life."

It wasn't easy. They both had such a vast knowledge of literature that it was overwhelming to pick something, just one thing, that wasn't to long or to short, and held meaning for them. Myka hoped she chose well in choosing a section of The Irrational Season by Madeleine L'Engle. "But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…It is indeed a fearful gamble…" Loving someone so deeply had been a risk for Helena, and for her as well. They had both suffered losses before each other, and they'd suffered hurt because of each other, but their love proved stronger then any other and simply wouldn't let them give up on each other. "Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…It takes a lifetime to learn another person…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected."

Eyes were beginning to tear up and smiles shone on every face, even the invited Regents, as the Reverend said, "Helena, Myka, please join hands." They passed off their beautiful bouquets of Rocky Mountain Columbines and Pasques in shades of blue and purple, and purple English Heather to Claudia before taking each other's hands. They gave gentle squeezes and warm smiles as they began their vows.

"Do you Helena take Myka to be your partner in life, to support and respect her in her successes as well as her failures, to care for her in sickness and in health, to nurture her, and to grow with her throughout the seasons of your life together?"

Despite the tears in her eyes Helena's voice was strong as she said, "I do."

"Do you Myka take Helena to be your partner in life, to support and respect her in her successes as well as her failures, to care for her in sickness and in health, to nurture her, and to grow with her throughout the seasons of your life together?"

Not having the English stiff upper lip to fall back on Myka's voice cracked a little as she said, "I do."

"The rings?" The Reverend asked as she turned to Pete who handed her two platinum bands.

Not wanting to be out done by Helena Myka had gone on a mission. The mission was to find the perfect engagement ring for Helena, and it had been successful. Myka found a stunning Victorian engagement ring with the most perfect dark blue sapphire, the stone of density, she'd ever seen. So their bands were just simple, beautiful, platinum bands engraved on the inside. Like Pete said Myka's ring to Helena read, "You are my endless wonder." And Helena's to Myka read, "You are my miracle."

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them." The Reverend stated while holding the bands in the palm of her open hand. "Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today." She smiled and held her hand out to Helena.

Helena took Myka's ring and as she slipped it onto Myka's hand she said, "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands."

Myka's eyes were locked with Helena's as she responded; "I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart." Then she took Helena's ring and as she slipped it on Helena's finger she said, "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands."

And Helena responded, "I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart."

The Reverend smiled brightly as she raised her hands, blessing the couple and said, "And now, by the power vested me in by the State, I hereby pronounce you wife and wife. You may now seal your union with a kiss."

Helena reached for Myka's beautiful face and pulled her close. "My Myka." She whispered before capturing Myka's lips in a kiss that made several people including Artie blush.

Because theirs was not a "traditional" marriage they wanted the legality of their union to be witnessed by everyone, because there would be no doubt their marriage was a legal one, so as part of the ceremony the Reverend said, "Friends and Family, to conclude this ceremony, will the designated witnesses please come forward and sign their names to the certificate of marriage."

Pete and Claudia joined Myka and Helena along with the Reverend at a small table where they all signed where they needed to sign. Once that was finished, their union complete not only emotionally and spiritually, but also legally, the Reverend said, "Friends and Family, I present to you for the first time, Helena and Myka Bering-Wells."

Their family and friends stood and cheered as Helena and Myka walked hand in hand down the aisle. They slipped into a small room off to the side for some time alone while their guests were shown to the lawn where they would be having dinner. Myka held Helena in her arms while Helena wiped at the tears on Myka's face. "You're my wife."

Helena smiled, her dark eyes bright and twinkling with her own tears of joy. "I am."

Myka actually giggled.

"I love you." Helena said softly.

"I love you." Myka replied before sharing another kiss with her new wife.

They didn't get as much time together as they wanted. Claudia soon came knocking and calling through the door that it was time to head down to the lawn, people were starving and waiting on them, so they reluctantly left their little hideaway and joined their guests under a million little fairy lights and flickering candles for four courses that included smoked Scottish salmon, duck breast, and grilled steak for Pete who kept making faces while they talked about the menu. They had wonderful food and amazing wine, and after dinner they headed back to the Creek House for dancing and wedding cake.

For their first dance they were going to do a waltz but before they could start Claudia took the DJ's microphone and said, "Can I have everyone's attention? Hi. I'm Claudia, BFF and the most kick ass Maid of Honor to our beautiful brides." She was smiling and gave a little wave while resort staff set up a small piano. "Our lovely ladies are about to have their first dance as wives, but there's been a little change in the program. It's still going to be a waltz but we've nixed their prerecorded dead European composer piece for something totally better. Artie."

Artie got up from where he'd been sitting and walked over to the piano.

"See our loveable Artie here has something special for Myka and Helena." Claudia explained. "He wrote them their own waltz." There was a soft gasp of surprise from both bridges. "Yeah, it's totally a big deal. I don't even have my own song and I'm totally his favorite."

"Claudia." Artie grumbled.

"So, Myka, Helena, if you would take the dance floor." Claudia said with a wave of her hand.

They took the dance floor, Artie began to play, and thankfully muscle memory kicked in because Artie's music was so beautiful, so meaningful, that they got lost in it while they moved gracefully across the dance floor. When the song was over and the dance at its end they went to Artie and wrapped the man in their arms.

"It was beautiful Artie." Helena said, the funny little way she said his name making him smile.

"Thank you." Myka added before kissing his cheek.

After cake, which was three tiers, each a different flavor, and done to look like Victorian lace with edible versions of the flowers and heather in their bouquets, Pete asked everyone to head back outside. It really wouldn't have been a Myka and Helena wedding without an artifact, would it? While Claudia set up the music Pete made his way across the creek to join Steve, moments later the inky black Arizona sky was filled with fireworks, courtesy of several borrowed artifact. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Helena stood with her arms around Myka watching the sky glitter and sparkle just for them.

Leaning close so her lips brushed Myka's ear Helena said, "And so begins the grandest of adventures."

Myka smiled. "Righty-ho then, Mrs. Bering."

Helena laughed. "Right-ho Mrs. Wells."


	7. Chapter 7

It had been six months since their wedding and Myka and Helena were still gently riding the newlywed high, even though not much in their day-to-day lives was different than it was before they were married. They still spent their days chasing artifacts or working different assignments in the Warehouse, they still spent their evenings with their family, and they spent their nights together. Perhaps the biggest change was the fact that they no longer spent their nights in Myka's room, the one down the hall from Pete and Claudia. Several rooms on the third floor had been renovated and converted into a small apartment to give them space, privacy, and room for their growing family. Though they hadn't talked about it lately Myka was starting to hope that the growing part would be happening soon. A recent mishap with an artifact had finally dispelled any lingering doubts she might have had about Helena being ready for this.

When Claudia accidently came into contact with a wrongly shelved wristwatch that had belonged to Dr. Benjamin Spock, the world-renowned baby expert, she'd been turned into a toddler. Since Helena was the only one with any experience with small children she took on most of the responsibility for looking after Claudia while Pete, Steve and Artie went about looking for a way to undo the whammy. Apparently the watch was a bifurcated artifact, and the boys needed to find Dr. Spock's ring before they could neutralize it. They spent three days looking after Claudia together and as Myka watched Helena with the tiny redhead she knew Helena really was ready.

Myka bit her lip for a moment as she watched Helena gently rubbing in the leave-in hair conditioner she used once a week. Myka had often wondered, before she started sharing a bathroom with Helena, how her love managed to keep her hair raven strands of silk. Helena had teased her when they were "just friends" about using unicorn tears, to which Myka would roll her eyes and smile. Now that she knew the truth she was a little disappointed that it wasn't something as mythical as Helena herself was. Her wife, she loved the sound of that, had just gotten out of a long hot bath and was relaxed and calm, and Myka felt it was a good moment to say what she had to say. "It was nice wasn't it?"

"Hmm?" Helena asked as she looked up to catch Myka's eyes in the mirror.

"It was nice, ya know, having a little version of Claudia around." Myka said with a smile.

Helena returned the smile and nodded, "It was. Though I'm sure Claudia is much happier being back to normal."

"You were really good with her." Myka said as she continued to watch Helena closely.

"It was just a matter of keeping her busy." Helena said as she wiped her hands on her face towel before retreating into their bathroom for a moment. When she reemerged she continued. "She might have been all of four years old but she was still Claudia, still brilliantly clever and in need of some activity or another."

"It was more than that." Myka said as Helena slipped into their bed beside her. "You knew when she was scared and trying to be brave, you knew when to comfort her, and how. You knew when and how to scold her, and when and how to encourage her. You made her feel safe, and you made her believe everything would turn out alright."

Helena thought about it and then said, "I guess those are skills one never truly forgets."

Myka bit her lip again before asking, "Do you think you're ready to use them full time and for real again?"

Helena's dark eyes widened a little. "Are you asking if I'm ready for us to proceed with having a child of our own?"

"You lit up, Helena." Myka said honestly. "When Claudia would hug you around the neck, or smile up at you from her lego Warehouse, or as you read to her, everything about you lit up."

"It was nice." Helena said after taking several long minutes to think. Over the last three days she had once again experienced what it was like to be a mother. She'd forgotten just how much she loved it. As miraculous as her work was, as extraordinary as it was to be Myka's wife, there really wasn't anything that quite compared to being a mother. There really was no greater blessing or responsibility than that of raising a child. "It was nice to feel needed that way again."

"When I was showing little Claudia how to make teddy bear pancakes, and when she was asleep between the two of us, I had just a flicker of a feeling, a really good feeling, I want to have that feeling again." Myka said softly. "But I don't want to rush you into anything."

Helena couldn't deny that while she was looking after Claudia her mind would wander to what it would be like to be doing the things she was doing with a little boy with Myka's hair and smile or a little girl with Myka's eyes and laugh. It had taken her awhile to get to this point, and one of the hardest things she had to do was answer a simple question. What would Christina want for her? The answer of course was that her daughter would want her to be happy, and she liked to think that Christina would want her to share the kind of love Helena had in her heart for a child, the kind of love that Christina had been given. Helena had finally come to realize that having another child didn't mean she was replacing Christina, and that by living this second chance at life to the fullest, it was in a way honoring her daughter because all that sweet girl ever wanted was for her Mummy to be happy.

"You aren't rushing me into anything, love." Helena said honestly. "If we're both ready, and I think we are, then we should proceed." Reaching out Helena cupped her wife's cheek and smiled as she said, "Lets make a baby, Myka."

"Really?" Myka asked with bright excited eyes.

Helena chuckled softly. "Really."

They didn't have an endless supply of male-Myka's sperm so they needed to be mindful of how they went about the baby making. They agreed to try three attempts at artificial insemination before moving on in vitro fertilization. While Myka worried about the risks and the statistics, decreased fertility, increased risks for miscarriage and birth defects, Helena marveled at the science behind it all. She devoured everything she could get her hands on, including the research being done with using stem cells to create reproductive cells. The new break through would be their cover story so she and Myka had to be as knowledgeable about it as possible. It was a little overwhelming to see thoughts and ideas she'd imagined over a hundred years ago actually turned into reality. It was astounding to see humanity achieving the things she'd always hoped it would, the things she wrote about, but just as she'd foreseen the advances in science and technology and written about them, she also wrote about the negative things and those thoughts could be kind of scary.

Dark thoughts were far from Helena's mind now as she applied her scientific mind to charting her ovulation so they would know the perfect times in which to try. She was precise about it, keeping notes and creating formulas. She was actually starting to worry Myka because as the months went by Myka started to think that Helena was putting things off, that she was having second thoughts or doubts. Helena did her best to reassure Myka; even confiding in her wife that Christina's conception was no accident. Everything had been planned right down to the seduction of Christina's father.

"While I had a scientific and literary mind, I was hopeless when it came to the more refined arts." Helena had explained. "Christina's father was a talented artist with some minor musical ability." She laughed gently at the look on Myka's face. "It was a common practice back then, darling. Very few in the higher echelons of society ever married for love, they married for resources. Surely that isn't surprising to you? Didn't the handsome Earl on that show you adore marry his American wife for her money?"

Myka looked slightly insulted. "Robert loves Cora."

Helena laughed. "Yes, now, but love so often comes later for those types. Love had not been a requirement when my Father was trying to marry me off to all those low level nobles. He simply wanted me respectfully married, and if he were lucky, to someone who would help his social standing. I however knew that if I were to ever marry it would be for the kind of epic love the poets wrote about. And since you weren't to be born for another century, marriage hadn't seemed likely for me."

"So what does all of that mean for the romance of the Victorian era?" Myka asked.

"How well would a story about an upper class girl married off to improve her family's standing have been when the women buying the story were that girl?" Helena said honestly. "They bought the books because they romance, the young girl falling madly in love with her beau, gave them a little hope."

Myka thought about that and nodded. "You're not as likely to read something that's close to your actual life. Where's the fantasy in that?"

Helena smiled and began to slowly move in for a kiss. "And if true love were as common as pigeons it would not be nearly as sweet when it happens in reality."

And just like that Helena had made Myka forget all about her worries and concerns about wither or not Helena was stalling, which she wasn't. When Helena was absolutely sure of her dates, and she was positive she'd done all she could to prepare, she told Myka the when she had so desperately been waiting to hear. Now they just needed the how. Not so much the how, how, because they knew the technical how. Helena had even procured a needless syringe that she said was the exact length to reach what her notes called the sweet spot, the perfect location to deposit the sperm to ensure the maximum number of the strongest candidates reached her egg. The how they needed to work out was of the more romantic variety. It was important to them both that this be done as naturally as possible. They wanted the memory of creating their child to be a happy one, a sweet one, and hopefully not one that included doctors and medical equipment and cold sterile rooms.

So Myka made them dinner in the little kitchen of their little B&B apartment, they listened to music, shared a bottle of wine and Helena showed off the Dream Angel embroidered bustier set she'd picked up at Victoria Secret the last time she was in Sioux Falls.

The DVD Myka had in her hand clattered to the floor as her bright green eyes widened and then began to darken with desire. "Wow."

"Do you like it, darling?" Helena purred.

Myka simply nodded her head. How could she not like it? Honestly Helena could make burlap sexy, and there she was standing in their bedroom doorway wearing lingerie, her dark hair sweeping over her shoulders, her dark eyes burning right into Myka's soul.

Helena was smiling as she closed the distance between her and her wife. "Shall we forego the movie and skip right to doing all the delicious things that make you blush so prettily?"

She didn't quite have the skill Helena had but Myka was learning fast how to charm and flirt with more confidence and ease, and there were times, like now as she leaned in close and began to whisper in Helena's ear, where she could make Helena blush. "Or you know we could do that."

"It would seem," Helena began, her voice cracking a bit with lust. "You are still set on having me work under you."

As the rising sun painted the sky in shades of orange and yellow Helena slept peacefully in Myka's arms. The now empty medical syringe sat on a paper towel on Myka's nightstand waiting to be disposed of now that it had fulfilled its duty in this endeavor. Its content was where it needed to be, actively making an effort deep inside Helena's uterus. Now all they could do was wait, and hope despite knowing that statistically first attempts never, or hardly ever worked.

"I said I was sorry." Claudia said as she and Helena came up from the basement where they'd been working on a new project. "I shouldn't have messed with your calculations." Claudia continued as she shook out her hands. "If it makes you feel better my fingers won't stop tingling."

"Sometimes, young lady, the human mind is actually far survivor to the processors of your beloved computers." Helena barked at the girl. "When I said my formula was correct and your computer's was wrong, you should have listened. If you had your fingers wouldn't be numb, now would they?"

"Geesh, alright, I said I was sorry. You fixed it. It didn't blow up. So what bug crawled up your butt?" Claudia asked. "You've been bitchy for days. What are you PMSing or something?"

Helena huffed then whirled on Claudia to give her a piece of her mind, "No I am…" She stopped suddenly as all thought came to a dead halt. Claudia's question had caused her to take a closer look at her internal calendar, she did after all have a habit of becoming slightly grouchy just before starting her cycle so maybe it was that time, and that's when it hit her. Helena blinked dark eyes. "I'm late."

Claudia looked confused. "Late for what?"

Myka heard the two of them arguing. She came out of the sunroom to see what was going on when she heard Helena's comment. She understood it completely. "Are you sure?"

Just to be positive Helena pulled her phone from her pocket to check an actual calendar. After several long moments of staring at the screen she looked up at her wife and nodded. "I'm sure. I'm late."

"We should go to the store and pick up a test." Myka said with just a hint of a smile on her lips. She didn't want to get her hopes up but it was hard not to.

Helena nodded and then went to grab her keys and purse. "I'll drive."

"Where are they going?" Pete asked as he entered the room from the kitchen.

Claudia shrugged while still looking confused. "I think Helena was late for something."

Pete flinched. "H.G's been crabby for days. Poor Mykes. I bet she gets blamed for this."

Maybe she'd been around Pete to long but as they walked into the drug store Myka had a really good vibe about this. She was feeling so positive about this in fact that when Helena, who managed to make jeans and t-shirt look sexy, pushed her sunglasses up to hold her hair back as she knelt on the floor to examine the multitude of home pregnancy tests she took out her phone and after getting her wife's attention she took a picture.

"What are you doing?" Helena asked with a slightly annoyed look.

Myka smiled. "Documenting."

"Documenting what?" Helena asked.

"Everything." Myka replied.

Helena groaned, rolled her eyes, and then went back to reading the boxes of every test the store had available. She really was irritable and that wasn't like her. Yes, she got a little grouchy from time to time, but she was verging on bitchy. Clearly there was something out of balance. After she finally settled on two different brands of tests she and Myka headed for the checkout. Thankfully no one made any IRS comments or gave them odd looks for holding hands while they were out because Helena wasn't sure she wouldn't bite someone's head off. When they got home they used the backdoor so they could avoid everyone as they headed up to their apartment. The instructions said they would get better results if the tests were taken first thing in the morning when urine is more concentrated, but Helena didn't want to wait. Both boxes had two tests, she would use one each tonight and retest in the morning. So she stepped into their bathroom peed on the test strips, and then set the tests on the counter before returning to Myka to wait out the time. Waiting three minutes felt like waiting a lifetime in bronze again.

When the timer on her phone sounded Myka jumped. Neither of them moved after that. This was it. This was the moment where they discovered if their life was about to change for the better, or if they were facing another try at making it better. As much as she had tried not to get her hopes up, as much as she recited the stats in her head, Myka's hopes were sky high and if those tests read negative she was going to have a long way to fall and it was going to hurt like a bitch. After another motionless moment passed Myka finally took a breath and stood. She walked into the bathroom and over to the counter where those two white plastic sticks sat and she closed her eyes. She took another breath, said a little prayer, and then opened her eyes.

Helena watched Myka walk into the bathroom. She was petrified. She wanted those tests to be positive so badly that if they weren't, she was scared of just how badly the disappointment would hurt. Moments later Myka came back out and Helena stood up. Before she had a chance to read her wife's face, before she could open her mouth to speak, Myka had her in a tight embrace and was kissing her with such passion, such love, that it left Helena lightheaded.

Despite the odds, despite the statistics, despite all the factors against them, they'd done it. "Helena, you're pregnant!"

"I'm… are you sure?" Helena asked, still feeling a little woozy from that kiss.

"I will never doubt the brilliance of your planning again." Myka said with a laugh so full of delight that she was bouncing. "We're having a baby!"

Now Helena was feeling woozy for a whole different reason. A baby? A beautiful little baby with the best parts of them both, and another second chance for Helena to have the life that had been taken from her so long ago. It would be different this time, she promised. She would be a better mother for a start, and more so than that, she would not be doing this on her own. She would have Myka, and they would have their family. "We're having a baby, Myka.


	8. Chapter 8

For two people who were pretty much professional secret keepers, keeping Helena's pregnancy a secret was agonizingly hard. They wanted Vanessa to confirm officially first, and they wanted to keep it to themselves just a little longer, just in case. The issue was that every time they had a moment alone with one of their friends, or when someone would ask them what was going on, or one of their loved ones smiled at them because they couldn't seem to stop smiling, they wanted to tell them. Vanessa was waiting for them at their hotel in St. Paul after an artifact hunt. She drew Helena's blood and promised to get them the results as soon as she could. It still felt like a dream to them. It had been over a year since Myka's gender swap, and now here they were married and expecting the baby that had just been a flutter of a thought, a wish made by two hearts who shared the same dream, the same truths. Their lives had changed a lot over that year, and it was a little staggering to think about how much more they would change over the years to come.

"The Regents could have a problem with this." Helena said softly as they cuddled together on the hotel bed.

"They might." Myka agreed. "But something tells me that if they tried to act on it they'd have their hands full dealing with Claudia, Mrs. F. and Jane."

"I don't think they could have foreseen what bringing you and Pete into the Warehouse would do." Helena said.

Myka sat up so she could look down into her wife's face. "What did Pete and I do?"

"You two were the catalyst for change." Helena explained. "You made it possible for this family of ours to become a family. Yes, I was close to my beloved Caturanga, but he and I were an exception. We had nothing like this at Warehouse 12, there was a bit of fondness, Wolcott was a good man, dear William." She sighed softly as she took a moment to remember his former partner. "But we were all colleagues more than friends. No Warehouse that we know of has had agents' form a familial bond the way 13 has. The stakes, as they say, have been raised. Separating this team could very well do more harm than good."

"How so?" Myka asked.

Helena smiled, her voice laced with a bit of humor. "Would you want to be the Regent who tells Claudia she can't be around our baby?"

Myka chuckled as she shook her head. "No, and I wouldn't want to tell Pete he can't be Uncle Pete either."

"There will undoubtedly be guidelines, restrictions, rules to follow, but I doubt very much that they'll make us leave." Helena reassured. Now that she'd gotten it out there and they'd given their concerns acknowledgement, Helena felt a little better about it. Anything dealing with the Regents still tended to make her nervous.

Myka was quiet for a few moments. She lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling, watching the slow spinning blades of the ceiling fan as she thought. Then she asked, "Do you think we're being selfish, Helena? Do you worry about raising a child so close to the Warehouse?"

"Of course I worry about it." Helena said honestly. "But then I stop and think, sending Christina away from where the Warehouse was didn't keep her any safer then keeping her close. The Warehouse brought us together Myka, it gave us the ability to have a child who will be apart of us both, and I think it would protect our child as fiercely as every other member of our family would. So no, it isn't selfish. Brining a child into a home, into a family, who wants it, who will love and protect it and offer it the world to see it happy, isn't selfish."

Myka gave that some thought. She knew without doubt that the people who loved her and Helena would love their child, would protect their child, would do anything to make sure their child was happy, healthy and safe. She could even believe that the Warehouse itself would do what it could as well, and that helped to alive the concern she'd been having about bringing a baby into their realm of weird and wonderful. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Helena smiled smugly. "Of course I'm right."

They had gotten confirmation from Vanessa a few days after returning from St. Paul, but they'd decided they wanted to tell everyone at once so it was another couple of weeks of keeping baby Bering-Wells a secret because once one team returned another was off on a case. Finally things calmed down and everyone was home. They all gathered around the table in the sunroom for their morning meeting and while Artie assigned people to tasks long over due because they'd been so busy, everyone chatted and ate and threw around their normal morning banter.

"Pete, H.G. it's your turn to clean out the Gooery." Artie ordered.

Myka shook her head as she set her coffee cup down. "No, sorry, Helena can't do that."

While Helena hid a smirk behind her teacup, Artie's head snapped up so he could glare at Myka. "Excuse me? And why can't she do, what I the boss, am telling her to do?"

"Because it's impossible to work in the Gooery without getting goo on you." Myka explained. "No one has ever come out of cleaning the Gooery clean, except for Abigail and that's only because she goes in looking like she's about to dissect E.T."

"Hey." Abigail protested. "I would never dissect E.T.! That part of the movie always makes me sad because I feel so sorry for him. I cried because I thought they were going to hurt him."

"That part makes Pete cry too." Claudia said with a smirk.

"Does not!" Pete replied with a betrayed look on his face.

"I," Artie said sharply to shut everyone up. "Am still not hearing a reason why H.G. can't clean the Gooery."

"Helena can't clean the Gooery because we don't know if getting goo on her or if inhaling fumes from inside the Gooery will harm the baby." Myka said and then held her breath to see who would catch onto what she said first.

Artie thought that over for a second and then nodded, "Yes, ok, good point. We don't know what the effects of Goo or Goo fumes would have on the baby." It took a second for him to realize what he'd said. "Wait, baby? What baby?"

"Oh Em Gee!" Claudia squealed at a decimal that made Trailer cover his ears and Lulu shove her head under a pillow. "Helena's pregnant!"

Before she could reply to Claudia's statement Helena found herself engulfed in Claudia's embrace. She smiled and laughed softly as she returned the young woman's hug. "Yes, Myka and I are going to have a baby."

Claudia pulled back and did a little shimmy dance as she sing-songed, "I'm going to be an auntie! I'm going to be an auntie!"

"Congratulations you two." Steve said with a happy smile.

Artie groaned but there was a smile on his normally grumpy face. "I'm going to need to baby proof everything."

Myka looked over at Pete and asked, "So what do you think Uncle Pete?"

"I am going to be the most epic Uncle Pete ever!" Pete said before hugging Myka, picking her up off her feet and twirling her around before making a b-ling for Helena. The sound of Helena's laugh as Pete hug-spun her made Myka light up with pure happiness. She'd honestly been worried about how everyone would take the news, but she shouldn't have been. This was just how she wanted it to be, a happy family celebrating with them at the news of a new member soon to be.

"This is wonderful Helena." Abigail said as she hugged the woman.

"You helped me get to where I am, Abigail." Helena said softly. "Thank you."

Abigail pulled back and smiled. "I know Christina is so very happy for you too, and that she's thrilled with the idea of a little brother or sister."

"Oh!" Pete said with a huge grin. "If it's a boy you can name him Pete!"

"Yeah like the world needs another Pete." Claudia teased. "It could always use more Claudias though."

Myka laughed. "We have plenty of time to think about names."

Helena nodded and then pointed at Artie's breakfast. "Since right now the baby is about as big as that prune."

"Aww!" Claudia said. "Cutest prune in the world!"

"Great, I can't eat that now, it would be weird." Artie said as everyone eyed the prune on his plate. He grumbled under this breath and then said, "Ok, fine, H.G. can help me in the office and archives, and Myka you can help Pete in Gooery."

Helena did not want to be coddled. She was pregnant, not a fragile china doll. So despite Myka's protests she was still sent out on cases, normally partnered with Myka and ones close to home. When they'd gotten a ping from California the only ones available were Helena and Pete so Artie sent them off to track down an artifact that was causing trouble at a hotel full of conventioneers. Since Myka was currently in Japan with Claudia they wouldn't have to deal with her wrath until the case was long over and done, and Helena was safely home where Myka had left her.

"Are podiatrists always that rowdy?" Helena asked as she and Pete walked into their hotel suite.

Pete laughed. "You should see a proctologists convention." Once they were settled in a bit Pete turned to Helena and asked, "Do you need anything? Tea? Water? Something weird to eat like fish sticks and pudding?"

"Fish sticks and pudding?" Helena asked while giving Pete an odd look.

"We don't call them fingers and custard is like American pudding right?" Pete replied.

Helena laughed. "I'm fine, Pete, but thank you. If I need anything or if I regenerate I'll let you know."

"Ok." Pete said with a soft smile. "Cause ya know I'm here for you, all you have to do is ask, and I'll do whatever you need. Mykes said that when you were pregnant with Christina your brother was really there for you, and well, since that's kinda me now, I want to be there when you need me, cause I know you must be missing them both pretty bad right now, and well…" He stopped when he looked up at her and saw tears. "Oh, shit, I made you cry. I'm sorry! I said something stupid didn't did I? Oh, crap, Helena I'm sorry."

Her dark hair swayed against her back as Helena shook her head. "No, Pete, you're being very sweet and kind." She explained as she tried to wipe the tears away. "It's these sodding hormones! I was never this bloody emotional with Christina. It must be because this baby is half American."

"So my being sweet is making you cry?" Pete asked, a little freaked out and frightened by a crying HG. She nodded so he asked, "How do I fix it? How do I make it better?"

"You can't." Helena said softly. "It will pass."

"There has to be something." Pete said, growing a little more concerned and a little more freaked out. "What does Myka do?"

Before she could edit herself Helena confessed, "She lays down with me and we cuddle."

Pete smiled a bright smile. "I can do that. I can cuddle. In fact I'm a great cuddler."

He didn't give her a chance to protest or convince him she would be alright. Pete took her hand and led her into the room she'd claimed earlier. He told her to lie down and she did after slipping her boots off. He toed off his shoes and then lay down beside her. Her eyes widened a little when she felt his arm go around her, pulling her in closer to his body, but then she started to relax. Because her early actions had hurt Myka, it had taken a lot of work to earn Pete's trust, but the work had been worth it because now she had back the feeling of having a brother in her life. Not only did cuddling with Pete help calm the sea of hormones, but she felt safe and relaxed enough that Helena fell asleep in his arms. When she awoke several hours later she felt a lot better.

That night they were able to track down the artifact and while Pete chased after the man with the artifact Helena cut him off at the pass, which left the man sandwiched between her and her Tesla and Pete.

"I wouldn't try getting past her." Pete advised. "She's crazy hormonal and would take a lot of pleasure out of just zapping you for the hell of it."

Helena gave the man a smile that said Pete's words were true. "Now, be a good moppet and hand Agent Lattimer the money clip."

When Myka found out how Pete had looked after Helena while she was away she made him a big plate of chili cheese nacho fries and kissed his cheek as a way of thanking him. As the weeks went on the baby vibe settled a little and Helena being pregnant became the norm. That is until it was time for Helena's first sonogram, and then the excitement returned. True to her word about documenting everything, Myka had even taken a picture of the home tests to put in the scrapbook she was making, Myka had her phone out as the hand picked by Vanessa OB squirted gel on Helena's stomach.

"Bloody hell that's cold!" Helena yelped.

"She did warn you." Myka teased.

"So the technology exists to seen inside my womb and yet there is no way to warm the gel?" Helena replied.

Myka laughed. "It's part of the experience."

"Then I shall share the experience with you when we get home by dropped an otter pop down your shirt." Helena teased.

When the OB pointed out the shape of the baby on the screen the video footage became shaky because Myka was hold Helena's hand and leaning in close so they could both see the image. "Hello baby."

Helena smiled at the quiver in Myka's voice.

"Everything looks good." The OB reassured and then asked, "Ready to hear the heartbeat?"

The soon-to-be moms nodded their heads and moments later the most breathtaking sound filled the room. Their baby's heartbeat was the most amazing sound in the world, and Myka had it on video. The printed out pictures went into the scrapbook after they'd showed everyone, and a copy of the video was sent to Claudia as requested by the redhead for some secret project. Myka then sent copies of both to her parents.

Again things calmed down as Helena progressed, especially during those in between months when the hellish first trimester symptoms like throwing up, smell and taste aversions, fatigue, and the mood swings stopped and the last stages of pregnancy started. Helena felt wonderful, and she looked amazing. Helena loved being pregnant; she loved the way her growing bump felt, the way it looked when she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She also loved the way Myka looked at her. Myka looked at her as if she were the center of the universe. Myka looked at her and saw a strong beautiful woman who was brilliant and clever and did things like making a human from scratch. Between the adoring looks and second trimester hormones that changed Helena from an emotional pendulum to a randy teenager the two women were often missing in action, lost in the stacks or hidden away in their apartment. It was certainly a side effect to be thoroughly enjoyed.

"What are you doing?" Pete asked Myka while they drove back to the Warehouse from the airport. Artifact hunting didn't stop just because there was a baby coming.

"Making a list of names." Myka answered as she continued tapping on her iPad. "Helena and I are making lists, if any of the names are the same on the two lists, those are the ones we keep to talk about."

Pete nodded, sounded fair enough. "I like Penelope for a girl. Put that on the list."

Myka smirked. "Because its close enough to Pete?"

"No, though it is kinda close to Pete." Pete said after a moment of thought. "Better than Peta. But, no." He paused a moment and then smiled at her and said. "It was Leena's middle name."

"Oh." Myka said softly. Oh how Leena would have loved all of this. She would be so happy about her and Helena being together, the new baby, their family strong and together. She still missed her friend so much at times it ached. "How do you know Leena's middle name?"

Pete smirked. "I know everyone's middle name." His smirk faulted a little as he added, "Well, almost everyone's. I can't figure out Helena's. Everything just has the G on it."

Myka couldn't help but laugh. "Pete, it's hidden in plain sight."

"Huh?" Pete replied as he spared a moment to look over at her while he drove.

"It's the one of the few things Wikipedia actually has right about her." Myka explained. "Her middle name really is George."

Pete had to stop the SUV to laugh. "Helena's middle name is George?"

Myka chuckled as she nodded. "Her eldest brother's middle name was Sarah."

Pete spent five minutes laughing, and then followed that up by calling Helena George when they walked into Artie's office, which got him a Farnsworth thrown at his head.

Because of how Myka was able to get Helena pregnant there was a chance for passing on a Y chromosome so there was a 50/50 chance the baby would be a boy. They decided with little argument that if it were a boy they would name him Charles Peter, and if the baby was a girl, "We could still call her Charlie."

Helena looked up from the laptop screen were she'd been adding the Safari Babies nursery theme she and Myka liked, because Myka loved giraffes, to their gift registry. "Charlie? For a girl?"

Myka smiled as she got on her knees to reach the shelf over their bed. She pulled down the modified copy of Jane Eyre that held the cryptex Helena used to propose. She opened it and ran her fingers over Helena's hand copied passage from the book as she sat beside her wife. "Charlie's short for Charlotte."

"I have found the one I can truly love." Helena quoted from Charlotte Bronte's book. "I have found you." She smiled and leaned closer to her wife. "I think its aces, darling."


	9. Chapter 9

Seeing the 3D image of their baby made everything so much more real for Myka. Helena had felt the early flutters of movement and now the full on kicks and elbow jabs, which had made it real for her. Myka had felt the first hard kick. She and Helena had been swapping out an artifact for a replica when Helena suddenly grabbed her hand and placed it on her belly. The resulting thump against the palm of her hand made Myka gasp. It had been an amazing feeling, but there was still this shadow of fantasy about the whole thing. Seeing the image on the screen of an actual baby that looked like a real human baby, with it's little hand resting at it's temple, it's long fingers, Helena's fingers, and Myka's nose, while it sucked it's big toe was the final lock that snapped open and made this all very real for Myka. They were just weeks from having their beautiful little child in their arms.

"Do you want to know the sex?" Their OB asked.

"Yes." Myka replied.

"No." Helena said at the same time. Turning her head to look up at Myka she asked, "You want to know?"

"You don't?" Myka replied.

"I want to be surprised." Helena said. "There's something special about that moment."

Myka really wanted to know but she could understand Helena's way of thinking. She'd been the one carrying this tiny person around for nine months and she would be going through the process of giving birth, that moment following this long journey must feel like a jewel at the end of a long gauntlet. "Ok, we'll wait."

"If you swear not to say a word you can know." Helena told her wife. Myka had given Helena her way a lot over the course of her pregnancy; she could give this to Myka.

"Really?" Myka asked with a hopeful smile.

Helena chuckled at the childlike awe in her wife's eyes. Turning back to the OB she said, "Text the gender to Myka later."

The OB nodded. "Then that's it." She said with a smile. "Everything looks great so from here on out you'll be meeting with your midwife."

Once Helena's pregnancy had been declared a healthy, normal pregnancy she told Myka that she wanted to have their child at home rather then in a hospital. Myka hadn't been so sure that a home birth was a good idea, and it started a lingering fight between them. Myka wanted the security of a hospital just in case, but Helena argued that a hospital was to cold a place to welcome a new life.

"Hospitals are for the sick, wounded, and dying." Helena argued on more than one occasion. "Not a place for a healthy new life. I want to welcome our child into this world in the warmth of our home, were he or she will be surrounded by love and joy and happiness, not illness and death."

In the end they agreed that as long as Helena's pregnancy remained normal Myka would agree to a home birth, hence Helena getting her way. Myka couldn't argue with the fact that Helena had already done this, at home in her own bed, and everything had been just fine. She had to trust Helena on this because Helena had the experience, which gave her a sense of calm that Myka just didn't have yet. Myka was after all a first time mother, which made her nervous, and she was also a little afraid of something going wrong and loosing not just the baby but Helena as well. But after hashing it all out and talking it through they agreed, so Vanessa found them a midwife, who just happened to be a Regent, and they made a home birth plan.

"Look at those long fingers." Helena said as she studied the picture while Myka drove her back to the B&B. "Piano lessons perhaps? Artie would like that I think."

Myka smiled. "Those are your hands. Maybe we'll have a little inventor just like Mummy."

Helena's eyes lit up as she pictured teaching their little one how to build things, how to tinker, and how to tell stories. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the headrest she daydreamed about Myka and their child out in the garden, Myka teaching their little one to fence or how to do a cartwheel. It felt wonderful to imagine a little girl in soccer cleats or a little boy walking around with a cricket bat on his shoulder.

"What are you seeing?" Myka asked after turning to see if Helena had fallen asleep after growing so quiet. Her beautiful wife got a particular look on her face when she daydreamed about their child and she loved when Helena would share them with her.

"Teaching them the finer points of cricket." Helena admitted.

"Cricket?" Myka asked with a gentle laugh.

"Yes." Helena said as she turned her head to look at her wife. "Cricket."

Myka chuckled a little more. "Thank goodness for Pete, because between you and cricket and me and fencing, our kid wouldn't know anything about normal sports."

"I'm hearing normal as American." Helena teased.

"Like or not my love our baby will be American." Myka teased.

Helena pouted playfully. "Are you sure we'd can't spend the next couple of months in London?"

After dropping Helena off at the B&B, she was easy to tire these days, Myka headed for the Warehouse to pick up some paperwork they were both behind on. She was walking through the umbilicus when the text from the OB came in. She read it over and her face lit up. She laughed in sheer joy and started to jump up and down and shimmy a little. Once the moment passed she deleted the text, took a breath, schooled her features and headed into the office to pick up the work she was taking home.

Claudia threw them a baby shower. The whole B&B was decked out in pink and blue, streamers, balloons, signs, cupcakes, the whole nine yards. She was, next to the moms-to-be, the most thrilled about this. This kind of thing, this celebrating with the people she loved, her family, was something she'd longed for during the long years between loosing Joshua and finding the Warehouse.

"These are from me." Claudia said as she handed Helena and Myka her gifts. The first was a plush cat that made the young woman smirk as Myka pulled it out of a blue and pink gift bag. "That is an official stuffed Grumpy Cat and his name is Artie."

In the corner of the room sitting on a loveseat with Vanessa Artie grumbled.

The second gift looked like a small Farnsworth and it made Claudia's face light up when Helena unwrapped it. "That is baby's first Farnsworth. I made it myself." She said proudly. "You can set it up where the baby is and tune it in to transmit to any of ours. It'll let you see and hear and talk to the baby."

"Thank you Claudia." Helena said brightly as she looked at the younger woman with such affection. "It's perfect."

Claudia was beaming. "Once he or she gets here and we know his or her name I'll add it to the case."

Artie's gift was just as meaningful. It was a beautiful music box that played the song he'd written for them for their wedding. Pete gave them a collection of onesies and baby sized t-shirts that matched his collection of t-shirts so they had Cleveland sports teams and North Canton wrestling and one little white t-shirt with the wishing artifact that had turned Myka into a guy on it. Myka's parents and sister sent gifts from their registry, and her dad sent copies of all of the books Myka had loved as a baby and child. Amanda, Joshua, Adelaide and Nate, Hugo, even Mr. Kosan sent gifts. Jane was there and had brought a few things, practical things for the baby and a few things for the soon to be moms.

"You'll be so caught up in the baby you'll forget about yourselves." Jane warned them. "You'll need to stop, take a breath, and remember you're not just Mom and Mum, but Myka and Helena too."

Mrs. Fredrick, like Jane who knew what it was like to be a mother, gave them things they would need as well as a beautiful handmade quilt that she'd done herself. It was soft, in neutral colors, and like Claudia came with a promise for personalizing it later. It was such a beautiful gift that Helena and Myka both took a daring risk and hugged the fearsome but sweet and loving woman.

Steve and Liam, Abigail, and Vanessa stuck to the registry as well so they pretty much had everything they needed plus extra. It had been a wonderful afternoon that left Myka and Helena feeling blessed. They had so many wonderful people in their lives who loved them, and who were already as taken with their child as they were. It was wonderful.

It meant a lot to them both to see that their friends and the people they called family were not only happy for them but also just as excited as they were. The boys had painted the nursery for them, and helped them put together furniture until they all got frustrated and had to walk away before assembling because smashing.

"I built a bloody rocket in 1893! I can figure out how to piece together a sodding cot, Myka!" Helena said in a huff as Myka gently pushed her out of the house and towards the car.

"I know you can, love." Myka reassured. "But we're all hungry and we need a break, so we're going to get pizza. We'll even stop and pick up chocolate chips for you to put on yours."

While they were gone Claudia went to work and by the time they returned she had everything built and put into place. When they walked in Mrs. Frederick was putting the last little pillow and stuffed giraffe into place. It was perfect, especially after their loved ones added little personal touches to it. Artie's music box and a framed copy of his hand written sheet music to their song were placed on a nightstand. A little Laughing Buddha sat on one of the shelves on the wall, placed there by Steve. Several of Claudia's buttons were pinned to the shade of the lamp next to the rocking chair by the widow. Pete's Cleveland Indian's autographed baseball, sighed by the whole 1997 team, sat in a place of honor on the bookcase. Nestled on another wall shelf was a little brown teddy bear with a 60s style pink dress suit, cat eye glasses, pearls, and a handbag on it's paw that just appeared there one morning. There were framed family pictures taken by Abigail, and one of Leena's paintings hung on the wall. Myka's bear sat in the corner of the crib and a shadow box on the wall held one of Helena's open lockets with Christina's picture. Even Trailer left one of his balls in the room, and Lulu had hidden her squeak lion under the crib.

A week before Helena's due date, she and Myka asked Pete and Claudia to have dinner with them. They wanted to ask them something important so a nice evening out seemed like a great idea, especially since they wouldn't be having many nights out soon. So they drove out to one of the team's favorite restaurants and after dinner Myka said, "We have something we'd like to ask you both."

Helena smiled a sweet smile as she nodded. "We would be honored if you two would agree to be the baby's godparents."

Surprisingly Claudia didn't squeal the way they'd expected her to. Instead tears gathered in her eyes as she asked a gentle, "Really?"

Reaching for her hand Helena smiled as she again nodded her head. "Really, Claudia. You and Pete have been absolutely astounding not only during this pregnancy but throughout our entire relationship. Who else but the two of you would we want in our child's life in such a special and meaningful way?"

"I'd love to be the little prune's godmother." Claudia said as she tried not to cry.

Myka chuckled as she used her thumb to quickly clear the tears from under her own eyes. "You know the baby is about the size of a honeydew now."

Helena rolled her eyes. "Myka is pasting pictures of fruit in the scrapbook under the heading, "This Week, You're about this Big," it's rather adorable."

"So what do you say Pete?" Myka asked as she turned to her best friend. "Up for being godfather?"

Pete got up from the table and pulled both women to their feet and wrapped his arms around them both. "I'd be honored."

Once Pete let them go, and after Claudia got her own hugs, they sat back down and Helena smiled. "You'll both have to come to England with us."

"We're having the baby christened at the Wells family parish." Myka explained. "So they'll be listed in the same registry as their big sister, their Mum, their uncles and grandparents."

Claudia's face lit up. "I'm always up for a trip to London with H.G!"

"Oh no." Myka said, cutting off those plans before they got started. "You two are not going on any H.G. Wells treasure hunts."

Helena pouted. "There are still several of my inventions unaccounted for."

"You know you'll give in." Pete said with a chuckle. "You're so whipped."

Myka just glared at him for a moment before the whole table started to laugh.

When Helena's due date came and went Myka started to panic. Helena tried to reassure her that everything was fine, that the baby simply wasn't ready yet, but it only helped a little. Though she wasn't as freaked out as Myka, Helena was certainly at the point where she was tired of being pregnant. She, like the rest of her family, was more than ready to finally meet her child. But these things couldn't be rushed, so they waited, and waited until finally Helena very calmly said, "Claudia love, I need you to stay very calm and not freak out."

Claudia looked up from what she was doing with an odd expression, "Not freak out about what?"

Helena smiled sweetly as she heaved herself out of the chair she'd been sitting in. She'd come over to the Warehouse to help Claudia with some research so she'd been sitting at the table near the file cabinets. "I'm going to need you to drive me home, darling. The cramping has become more than a little uncomfortable and I think it best I get home before it gets worse."

The younger woman was instantly on her feet and at Helena's side. "Cramping? Helena, why are you cramping?"

"Because I'm in labor, darling." Helena said easily.

"What!" Claudia replied, going from concerned to panic in two seconds.

Helena sighed. So much for the younger woman not freaking out. "It's natural Claudia. Cramping in the early stages of labor is natural."

"Ok so you did say labor, you've said it twice, so you're in labor, like labor labor?" Claudia asked with narrowed eyes.

"Since about 3am, yes." Helena answered and before Claudia could say another word she added, "Now, lets get going shall we? I'll call Myka from the car."

Of course Myka hadn't reacted with any sense of calm either. Helena had assured her that taking a case this morning would be fine, neither of them had expected what seemed like a quick snag and bag to become an all out investigation. Helena reassured her wife that there was still time to wait, and that Steve was on his way to relieve her in the field. Because she was frightened and a little upset that Helena hadn't told her about the cramping Myka picked a fight. "You should have said something Helena!"

"Myka." Helena sighed. "It could be tomorrow before I'm even close to delivery."

"Doesn't matter!" Myka replied. "I should be there with you right now, I should have been there for every second of this, no matter how minor!"

"It's a sweet sentiment my love." Helena said while pacing the back garden. "But you would have just been worked up for no reason. You'll be home in time to share in all the most important moments, I promise. I love you. I'll see you soon."

Myka glared at her phone when it went silent. "She hung up on me!"

As soon as Steve arrived to help Pete on the case Myka headed home. Thankfully she was only a couple of hours out and she could cut come time off by pushing the speed limit. If she got stopped she would simply flash her badge, and if that didn't work she had Helena's Tesla on her. After nearly forty weeks of pregnancy, well over a year since first admitting to each other they wanted this, and years spent getting to this point, it was hours away from happening. She and Helena were going to have their baby in their arms, they were going to be parents, and she was going to be a mother. It was thrilling and frightening and incredible, and despite all the worry she'd done, all her concerns about this and that and herself, Myka was ready for this. She wanted this so badly and here she was almost there, she was so close she could almost hear the baby crying already.

"Where is she?" Myka asked as she soon as she burst into the house.

"In the yard." Abigail said with a soft smile.

Myka nearly ran for the back of the house, but then she stopped cold in the open backdoor. Helena stood barefoot in the grass with her face turned towards the sun. She had on a simple summer maternity dress that blew gently in the summer breeze along with Helena's hair. Her right hand rested on her swollen stomach, rubbing gently, while her left ran through her hair. The sight took Myka's breath away.

"Are you going to join me, darling?" Helena asked without opening her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Myka asked as she walked towards her wife. There was a pinch around Helena's eyes that said she was in some pain but Myka couldn't gage just how much. "Are you in pain?"

Helena shook her head. "Discomfort, but not pain." She opened her dark eyes and smiled as she looked into Myka's. "The pain comes later."

Any anger or hurt feelings Myka might have had earlier melted away as she slid her hands onto Helena's stomach. "What do you need?"

"Just you." Helena said softly.

Myka smiled as she moved closer. She pressed her forehead to Helena's as their hands laced over Helena's stomach. "You have me."

As day turned to evening Helena's discomfort grew and slowly shifted into pain as cramping slowly turned into actual contractions. When that happened they retreated up to their apartment. Myka did what she could as she watched Helena trying to find some relief between the waves of pain. She tried the soft touch massage that was suppose to release endorphins, she shifted and adjusted pillows as Helena demanded, she held Helena and rubbed her back, and as she did each and every little thing she could to make this easier on her wife Myka marveled at the strength and grace in which Helena clung to, even in the wake of the worse of it all.

"You're amazing." Myka said softly before pressing a kiss to Helena's sweat dampened temple.

Downstairs Pete came bursting into the house like an impatient child. "Is it here?" He asked. "Is the baby here?"

"Not yet." Artie answered.

Pete pouted. "What? Why not? What's taking so long?"

"It's not a pizza delivery, Pete." Claudia said from Helena's chess table. She had Lulu in her lap while she and Abigail played. "Baby's have their own sense of time. LBW isn't coming until he or she is damn good and ready."

"LBW?" Abigail asked.

Claudia smirked. "Little Bering-Wells."

Pete couldn't take it. He bolted for the stairs and took two or three at a time until he got to the third floor. He knocked, and then carefully opened the door once he was sure he didn't hear screaming or swearing. The midwife was in the small living room and smiled in greeting. After checking with Helena and Myka first the midwife said he could go into the bedroom.

"Oh thank god." Helena said as she motioned for Pete to come over to her. "Stand right there." She ordered him, and then once he was where she needed him she pressed her back against his chest and reached her arms up and back, lacing her fingers together at the nape of Pete's neck. "Myka isn't tall enough, or solid enough for this." She sighed softly in relief as she stretched out the pain her back. "Bloody hell that's aces."

"Back labor." Myka explained with a chuckle.

Pete did what he could to help, and was told by Helena not to leave the house in case she needed him again. He made sure Myka had what she needed too. He didn't want her needs left out just because Helena was the one in labor. Once he was sure his girls were ok he headed back downstairs to join the rest of the family to wait.

Evening turned into night and still no baby. Claudia and Pete took turns going upstairs to check in with Myka and Helena, and taking care things they needed from them. One by one as the hours passed they began falling asleep in chairs, and on couches and loveseats and even the floor. No one wanted to miss anything by actually going to bed.

Helena was on the edge of their bed with Myka behind her. For the last few hours her contractions were nearly never ending and the pain was unlike anything anyone who had never done this had ever experienced. It was the kind of pain that was indescribable; it simply had to be experienced to be understood. Thankfully she was nearly at the end of this, she could feel it, and she could sense it. She had felt the baby move and shift into the place and position needed for delivery, and that singled her that it was time to push.

"That's it Helena." Myka encouraged. "Almost there, love."

There is something primal that takes over in that moment. A woman's body is put through one of the most physically agonizing, emotionally draining ordeals a human can go through, and just when the body and mind are ready to give in, something in the human spirit comes to life and gives the new mother that final jolt to push through. Helena takes several breaths and pushes again, letting out a cry that gives voice to the pain, and a cry soon outdone by the sound of sheer joy coming from the woman behind her.

"Oh Helena!" Myka cried out in awe.

The room fills with the sound of new life, a cry of fear and uncertainty, a newborn's declaration of, what the bloody hell is going on!

"Congratulations you two." The midwife said as she quickly wrapped the baby and places her in her mothers' arms. "You have a daughter."

Helena sobbed joyfully. "A daughter." She said in wonderment. "Myka, we have a daughter."

Tears were streaming down Myka's face. "She's beautiful, Helena." Reaching out a trembling hand Myka offer her daughter a finger and the baby quickly grabbed on tightly. "Oh Helena." She whispered as they looked into the bright, alert eyes of their baby girl. "Now this, this is endless wonder."

Charlie, as Myka was already calling her and had been in her head since the OB's text, had been born at around 5:30am. It was a little after seven when Myka headed downstairs. Everyone was sitting around the table in the sunroom until she they saw her, and then they were all on their feet. "If anyone feels like coming upstairs with me there's someone waiting to meet you all."

Upstairs Helena was settled on the sofa with her daughter in her arms. She couldn't stop looking at her, memorizing everything little inch of her. She had dark hair, and for the moment her eyes were blue but Helena knew that would change quickly over the next few days. Ten fingers, ten toes, Myka's nose, and the same sweet look of peace that she remembered Christina having when she was born. "My darling girl." She whispered at the baby who had a tight hold on her pinky. "My precious girl." She smiled as she heard feet on the stairs. "Your family is coming to meet you my darling."

Once everyone was gathered around and Myka was once again at her side Helena shifted the baby so everyone could see her as Myka said, "Everyone, meet Charlotte Penelope Bering-Wells. Charlie, meet your family."


End file.
